The Cat and the Fox
by Raesaa
Summary: Witness the story of Naruto from the beginning ! What would have happened if Naruto had formed a bond sooner?...furthermore what if the Leaf had secured a second Bijuu? Watch as Naruto and Hinata take their first steps in fulfilling their dreams. They'll need each other more then they could imagine, in order to face the darkness that looms on the horizon.
1. Chapter 1

This fic explores a slightly AU where in the midst of the Third Ninja War with Iwagakure and Kumogakure the Hidden Leaf managed to capture the Two Tailed Cat also known as the Nibi. In the years following the end of the war the Nibi is sealed within a scroll, but it serves only as a temporary solution. After years of searching a newborn possessing the ability to host to two tails is finally found.

In the years after the sealing this child is nearly captured by Kumogakure, most mistake the kidnapping as an attempt to steal the Byakugan when in fact, their target was something far different.

The child would spend most of her childhood in loneliness, not understanding why her clan hated her so much...

She would soon learn the truth, and furthermore that she far from alone...

That there was someone else that she admired that had shared that same fate...

* * *

The resident troublemaker, Aka Naruto Uzumaki awoke with a deep yawn, before rolling out of bed. He landed with a loud thud before groaning. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes he blinked wearily as he looked up at his clock. His tired state shifted to a full blown panicked expression as he rolled up to his feet.

"AHhhh Iruka-Sensei will kill me if I'm late again" he cried as he quickly tugged off his toad pajamas before scurrying bare naked across his apartment towards his closet. Of course in his haste he missed the the ramen bowl lying on the floor and slipped before tumbling across the floor landing a few feet away from his closet.

"Oi...this has to be Karma for eating Ramen so late" he muttered as he slowly made his way to his feet before shaking the stars from his eyes.

He quickly flung open the closet and a few short moments later dressed he ran for the stopping for but a moment to grab his goggled and secure them before he dashed out the door, jumped the balcony of his apartment and began running as fast as he could towards the academy.

One would normally wonder why Naruto would be in such a hurry to not be late for school...he wasn't exactly known for being punctual much less caring. However what he knew that no one else knew was that their was a lot riding on this. Something he dare not risk...Iruka-Sensei had swore to not buy him another bowl of Ramen if he was late one more time and well it did wonders for convincing Naruto to forsake his typical ways.

With only moment to spare he burst through the door into the classroom panting earning looks and jeers from most of the classroom.

Iruka however managed a small smile.

"Just on time Naruto take your seat" he said before nodding at the blonde.

Naruto sighed he stuck his hands in his pockets ignoring the comments he received as he walked forward.

Spotting a seat open near Sakura he almost darted forward like always, but instead he stopped himself. He realized today he wasn't really in the mood to have his head beat in by one of Sakura's tantrums instead he looked towards the back of the classroom spotting an open seat next to the Hyuuga Heiress. He barely knew her name and honestly she had always been sort of strange in his books, but she was the only person in entire class room who had never been anything, but kind to him.

He shrugged as he made his way towards the back of the room. If he was going to show up to class he might as well make an effort no matter how boring Iruka-Sensei could be.

'Who knows this might get me an extra bowl of Ramen' he mused to himself before he smiled widely.

Seeing her crush glowing closer Hinata blushed furiously and prayed she wouldn't faint before he got there.

'Ano just this once please kami don't let me faint' she thought to herself as she began fiddling furiously with her fingers.

As he arrived at the top of the stairs he leaned in closer then what was socially acceptable till only inches separated him and the Hyuuga heiress.

"Heya you're Hinata right ? Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head.

Poor Hinata could only blush a deep shade of red as she tried her best to summon a coherent sentence.

"Y-you W-want to S-sit nnn-ext to me ?" she stuttered terribly mentally cursing herself for her own shyness.

Naruto frowned.

'She really is weird..is she sick or something ?' he thought to himself.

"Um well yeh..but If it upsets you I guess I can find somewhere else" he said sounding slightly dejected as he begin to pull away.

"N-No" she half-said half yelled as she grabbed the sleeve of Naruto's orange jacket.

The boy in question turned with a raised eyebrow, to be honest he was surprised Hinata could even be this loud. Several others in the classroom watched with interest with the exception of Shikamaru who was sleeping and Sasuke who seemed lost in his own thoughts.

She dropped her head as she blushed again deeply before releasing Naruto's jacket as if it burnt her hand.

"I-I mean...I would l-like it very m-much if Naruto-kun w-would sit n-next to me" she said meekly before shyly looking up at her crush.

Naruto allowed a smile, not one of his goofy smiles, but a rare sincere one as he sat down next to the blushing heiress.

Iruka who had been interrupted by the commotion in the back had almost started yelling again, but stopped as his gaze softened slightly. He relaxed his shoulders before he returned to the subject at hand...

Throughout the day Naruto actually made an attempt to listen to Iruka, however for some reason even he couldn't fathom he found himself sneaking glances at the Shy Hyuuga seated next to him. It was such a simple gesture of her insisting on him sitting next to her, but it was foreign to him, but as odd and new as this feeling was to him...he couldn't help, but feel warm and surprisingly welcome as he sat next to her. He wondered to himself if maybe...just maybe she would be his first real friend. Well sure he had JiJi and Iruka-Sensei, but no one really his own age. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice next to him.

"U-Um Naruto-Kun" the timid Hinata said shyly.

"Huh?" he asked absentmindedly.

"Sensei asked you question" she said before prodding her fingers together nervously.

Naruto gulped as he focused his attention back to Iruka who looked quite annoyed.

"Sorry Iruka-Sensei ...hehe what was the question again ?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

A few of those in the classroom groaned.

"Naruto-Baka why do you even show up to class if your not going to pay attention" yelled Sakura.

Another student seated a few rows down piped in as he looked back at Naruto with a look of disgust.

"He shouldn't even bother being here at all, everyone knows he's the deadlast. He'll only end up failing the graduation exam for a third time." he said before chuckling.

Several others nodded and laughed agreeing with the boy.

Naruto's demeanor hardened as he clenched his fist, his soft cerulean gaze became much darker as rather than making one of his typical outbursts he focused intently on Iruka.

Iruka gritted his teeth before speaking.

"Enough... I won't tolerate that in this classroom" he said pausing a moment as he looked back to Naruto.

He felt a slight amount of pity and regret for asking Naruto such a question in the first place. He sighed before clearing his throat and speaking again.

"Naruto now that your with us...can you tell us the five basic elements ?" he asked as he silently prayed by some miracle Naruto would actually know the answer.

Naruto felt his stomach turn as he paused for a long moment he began to hear snickers coming from some of the others in the room. He was just about to admit he had no clue until he felt the smallest tug on his jacket. His eyes wandered to the girl seated beside him who was blushing slightly but had a determined look on her face. Her small hand lay on a piece of paper with several things written upon it.

His eyes widened as he quickly scanned the paper before he cleared his voice and finally spoke.

"Yes Sensei the five elements include Fire,Water,Wind,Earth, and Lightning." he stated.

Iruka was silent for a moment before a small smile spread across his lips. He had seen the subtle gesture Hinata had made and while he didn't condone cheating, in the real world teamwork was more important then anything else.

"That is correct Naruto thank you" he offered before quickly changing subjects.

A few of those in the classroom whispered among themselves surprised Naruto actually knew the answer to anything not related to ramen.

Naruto relaxed as his gaze looked over at Hinata. He felt a small smile tug at his lips, not one of his fake ones, but again she'd manage to solicit a sincere smile.

"Thank you Hinata" he said softly.

"N-Naruto-kun I-I know t-their all w-wrong I..I b-bel-lieve in y-you" she said shyly before she began to fiddle with her fingers once more.

Naruto without realizing it blushed faintly as he felt something warm in his stomach as he looked at the kind weird girl next to him.

"T-thankyou Hinata-chan that means a lot to me" he said.

'He called me Hinata-Chan' was the last thing the poor girl thought before she fainted abruptly.

As she swayed to the side Naruto caught her in his arms before she fell from her seat. He shook his head as he looked at her intently.

'She is so weird...but ya know she is kind of cute' he thought to himself before a foxy grin spread across his face.

"Naruto?" Iruka called snapping the blonde from his reverie.

"Eh ?" he asked looking around noticing everyone's gaze upon him before looking down realizing he was holding Hinata in his arms.

"I can explain I swear this isn't what it looks like" he exclaimed.

* * *

A few hours had passed since the bizarre day at the academy and now the blonde sat with his Sensei at his favorite Ramen shop in the world. He had an uncharacteristically thoughtful look on his face as he stirred the noodles of his Miso Ramen rather than inhaling them as he normally would.

"Naruto are you listening to me ?" asked Iruka as he cast a worried glance at the young blonde.

Naruto laughed nervously before turning to look at Iruka. "Sorry Iruka-Sensei, I just had my mind on something" he said before raising a bundle of noodles to his mouth.

Iruka shook his head but grinned at the boy. "Are you sure rather than something you were focused on a certain someone?" he said suggestively before laughing.

The blonde In question began choking before flailing around for several seconds before he finally managed to swallow the noodles.

"What do you mean ? " Naruto finally screeched as he looked at Iruka like he'd grown another head.

"Pipe down Naruto..no need for everyone in the village to hear you." Iruka said chiding the blonde before laughing.

Naruto crossed his arms childishly but finally spoke again after a moment.

"Alright what do you mean Sensei ?" he asked again quietly.

Iruka smirked as he looked at the blonde.

"Well you and Hinata seemed to be getting pretty comfy back there during my lesson...speaking of tomorrow maybe you can actually early and take some time from snuggling up with Hinata to actually pay attention in class." he said as he barely refrained from laughing as he watched Naruto's expression.

Naruto's mouth fell ajar as his face glowed beat red.

"No..No No sensei it was nothing like that at all! You see Hinata-chan was sick or something and passed out and ...I um caught her from falling...we're actually just friends" he said nodding vigorously.

Before Iruka could comment Naruto stood up grinning with a blush still on his cheeks.

"Well thanks for the Ramen Sensei see you in class tomorrow" he exclaimed before darting off at full speed leaving half a bowl of his favorite ramen untouched.

Iruka just smiled to himself as the owner Teuchi stepped out of the back with a smile on his face.

"Ah Iruka-San Naruto tells me that your to be handling his outstanding tab" he said with an evil gleam in his eye.

"T-tab ?" squeaked Iruka as Teuchi handed him a piece of paper.

Iruka's eyes widened before he went red in the face.

"NARUTO" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Naruto lay on his bed with his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling

a smile spread across his lips as he remembered something from earlier in the day.

**_-Flashback-_**

After the crazy day at the academy they had finally been excused for the day.

Rather than leaping up and dashing out the room as he did normally he remained in his seat a moment as he watched Hinata next to him slowly begin packing up her belongings.

Naruto felt a bit embarrassed as he spoke up .

"Heya Hinata-chan ?" he asked.

The young girl looked over at her crush with a bright blush on her cheeks.

"Y-yes N-naruto-kun ?" she managed softly albeit with a stutter.

"Do you mind if I sit here from now on ? It was ummm nice it almost felt like I had a friend today." he said before he looked away slightly wishing he had worded that better.

It surprised him again for the second time today when he felt her small hand on his shoulder. As he looked up she was blushing furiously, but finally she found her voice.

"I-I w-would l-like it v-very much if N-naruto-kun sat h-here e-everyday and...a-and I would like it v-very m-much if N-naruto-kun w-would be m-my f-friend" she said mustering every ounce of courage she possessed as she smiled shyly as her porcelain cheeks were stained red with a pretty blush.

Naruto's eyes widened before he reached out and hugged the girl in front of him.

"Yipeee! We're friends believe it!" he exclaimed.

Only moments later did he realize his new friend had fainted again, her face a fiery red, however even oblivious to the world a happy smile graced her lips.

**_-End Flashback-_**

Naruto smiled to himself before closing his eyes and quickly drifting to sleep.

Hinata lay on her side starring at the far wall in her bedroom. She cradled a large fox plushie in her arms so tightly as summoned what strength she could muster to keep herself from crying as she had in the past.

After returning home she had been told by her father that if she failed to improve her skills by the time she graduated the academy that she would have the title of Heiress stripped from her.

She closed her eyes and bit back a sob but stopped as she thought of a certain blonde. Slowly a small smile found it's way to her lips. Despite all else she had managed to finally talk to her crush and furthermore they were friends now. She sighed before leaning down and kissing her plushie.

"Goodnight Naruto" she said softly before she began to drift off to sleep unaware of the the conversation regarding her that was happening not that far away.

"She has no business being Heiress of this clan she is but a demon, The fact Hiashi has even given her a chance is an insult" The man stated

"Hiashi is no fool he will soon replace her with her sister as Heiress of the Clan. Then the Hyuuga will have a strong future" the older woman responded

"But what will that mean for the..." the man trailed off

"It will remain a secret of the Leaf...and perhaps a valuable tool in the future.."

* * *

Lavender pools traced the contours of her large room, the room was warm in stark contrast with the rest of the Hyuuga Estate. Hinata had learned long ago even as a child that while at home her room was often the greatest sanctuary she had. Many of her clan saw her as a failure...but there were a few that looked at her with something akin to disgust and she almost believed she could detect fear in their cold eyes.

Her family life was far from ideal, she and her sister loved one another, but were forced to fight constantly in which she would always lose on purpose. Her father was a difficult man, she knew that he truly loved her, but he often had to choose to be a clan head rather than a father. She missed her mother greatly she had been told that shortly after giving birth to her that her Mother had took ill and had never truly recovered only to die giving birth to her baby sister, Hanabi. Their was always a part of Hinata that blamed herself for her mother's death. It was a burden no child should have to carry on their shoulders and most had no idea just how strong she truly was.

Most people would harbor hate for such difficult upcoming, but despite her difficulties with her family, Hinata was an individual that while shy and meek due to her families neglect and abuse held nothing but compassion for others and admiration for a particular blonde haired knucklehead.

She parted the door to her room before slipping outside, she kept her head downcast as she tried to ignore the stares that seemed to follow her every step. The way they stared at her at times...almost as if she wasn't even human ...it often made her want to cry, but she wouldn't let that happen. If Naruto could face that kind of treatment then she would too and she wouldn't let them break her.

Passing through the gardens and the gate she quickly made her way out into the village and towards the Academy.

Despite the weight of her family on her shoulders she skipped through the streets, eager to see her crush...to see her new and only friend once more.

* * *

Naruto dove into the classroom in a dramatic fashion just as Iruka walked in behind him.

The Chunin blinked before shaking his head.

"Cutting it close Naruto, but I'm glad to see your here on time again. Please take a seat" he said before he turned and made his way to the board.

Naruto sighed before scrambling up the steps till he arrived at the back row where a blushing Hinata was seated already with a small smile on her face.

He plopped down beside her before flashing her a grin.

"Morning Hinata" he beamed.

"G-good m-morning N-naruto-kun" she replied softly as she looked shyly at her crush.

As Iruka began checking who was present by calling roll Naruto leaned close to Hinata...closer then most people found acceptable.

"Oi Hinata-chan I was wondering if I could borrow your notes ?" he asked

"B-borrow m-my Notes ?" she squeaked.

"Hai your like really I bet you take really good notes" replied Naruto with a smile.

"Hinata Hyuuga" Called Iruka

"Here" she replied as loudly as she could muster before looking back at her crush who still was far too close at the moment.

Hinata found speaking hard at the moment so she just nodded at the blonde and offered a shy smile before sliding her notebook over to him.

"Sweet" exclaimed Naruto as he finally gave the poor heiress some space and began to study her notes.

"Wow Hinata...you should be a teacher one day...this stuff makes a lot more sense the way you put it." he said quietly.

Her meek reply was muffled by Iruka as he called out the next person's name.

"Sasuke Uchiha" called Iruka as he looked around for the boy in question only to see he was missing.

The fangirls seemed in stitches as all of them were quite vocal in their concern for their Sasuke-kun.

Finally a moment later the door to the classroom opened up as Sasuke stepped into the room before yawning loudly.

Mizuki who was sitting at the desk while Iruka called roll raised an eyebrow as did a few others in the classroom. The fangirls all begin squealing to which Iruka staved off by waving his hands frantically.

"Alright alright enough ladies...Sasuke why are you late ?" he asked as he looked over at the boy who looked exhausted.

Sasuke groaned as he searched for an excuse..and at that a good one.

As he opened his eyes he smirked settling on an entirely plausible scenario.

"I woke up later than usual this morning...I would have still been here before class started, but I had to lose a mob annoying fangirls" he stated quite confident that this was a full proof excuse.

Iruka sighed as he face palmed.

'With Sasuke this could very well be a true story' he thought groaning as he shook his head.

"Alright then Sasuke try to not let this happen again alright ? Now take a seat so I can finish calling roll." he said

Sasuke just grunted as he turned to head to his normal seat but groaned seeing the fangirls eying him with hearts in their eyes as he walked towards his normal spot. He quickly changed direction as he made his way to the top of the stairs and took a seat next to Naruto and Hinata.

"Oi Teme what are you doing don't you want your normal seat ?" Naruto asked before laughing at the raven haired boy beside him.

"No way in hell Dobe..in fact I think I'll be sitting here until graduation" he replied before he laced his hands turning as he offered Naruto what resembled a smirk.

Naruto shivered at the looks coming from the other females in the class, while Hinata fidgeted slightly as she tried to advert her gaze.

'Great teme now Sakura-chan,Ino, and every other girl in this room are going to murder me and Hinata for sitting next to their precious Sasuke-kun' he thought before sighing out loud.

"Oi it's going to be a long day" he groaned before he face planted his desk.

* * *

After a few hours into Iruka's lesson when Naruto couldn't bare to wait any longer he leaned over close to Hinata.

"Oi Hinata would you like to train with me after Class today?" he asked.

"T-train with N-naruto-kun ?" she asked before blinking a couple of times and blushing as she imagined being alone with her crush.

"Well...?" he asked as he stared at her intently.

"H-hai" she replied finally with a shy smile.

"Woohoo" he exclaimed before hugging her and pulling away.

Of course the poor girl couldn't handle it as her face turned beat red and she proceeded to faint.

"Naruto is there something you'd like to share with class?" Iruka said in a firm voice snapping Naruto back to attention.

The blonde scratched the back of his head sheepishly before laughing.

"Hehe of course not Iruka-Sensei" he replied.

"Good then be quiet" he said employing the big head jutsu.

Naruto cringed as he sank back into his seat looking worriedly at Hinata.

"Does she do that all the time?" a voice beside him asked.

Almost forgetting he had company other then Hinata Naruto turned to look at Sasuke.

"Eh I think Hinata gets sick a lot" he said quietly.

"Hnnn you really are an idiot..." Sasuke said simply before he folded his hands under his chin and stared with a bored expression as Iruka droned on.

"What was that Teme?" he asked as he stood up and glared at the boy.

"NARUTO"

The blonde gulped as he looked down at his Sensei.

"I'll see you after school Naruto...now take your seat" Iruka said sternly.

Naruto groaned before sitting down slowly.

'Oi I hate school' he thought glumly.

* * *

Thirty minutes after the rest of the class had been let out Naruto found himself still being lectured by Iruka.

"Naruto why can't you pay attention in class ?" Iruka asked as he crossed his arms as he studied the blonde intently.

"But Sensei it's not like that I'm trying to do better believe it...I was even taking notes today" he said as he glanced at the door wondering if Hinata was still waiting for him or if she'd gone home.

"Naruto you have been here more often and your participation has improved but your test grades haven't improved a bit. In fact I think their even lower now " Iruka said exasperated.

"But Sensei I'm trying but I just don't understand the tests...it's like it's another language. How am I suppose to know the angle of how throw a kunai at an enemy when the wind is blowing against me?" he asked folding his arms across his chest.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Naruto there hasn't been a question like that on any of the tests Mizuki or I have given." he said.

Naruto frowned as he began to look frustrated. "Well Sensei all I know is the test Mizuki-Sensei gave me had that and all these other weird questions on it" he huffed.

"I am trying though...I was suppose to be training with Hinata now, but I don't even know if she's still waiting for me." he said sadly.

Iruka said nothing a moment as he forced a smile. "It's alright Naruto you can leave now just please try to be quiet in class from now on." he said.

Naruto blinked surprised but simply nodded. "Well thanks I guess Sensei gotta run" he said waving a hand before he ran for the door.

As the door slammed shut Iruka's smile slipped away and his expression turned serious.

Naruto was many things however he was not a liar. He intended to get to the bottom of this immediately.

As Naruto bounded outside his frown turned to a wide smile as he saw Hinata kneeling down in a small garden right outside the Academy.

"HINATA" he called out as he ran over to her stopping as he watched her pluck one small yellow flower from the ground before very neatly folding the flower into a small book. Finally she turned and began to fiddle with her fingers.

"Gomensai N-Naruto-kun I was d-distracted" she said blushing slightly.

"What are you apologizing for I was the one who kept you waiting." he said smiling.

"Arigato" he said .

"Eh for what N-naruto-kun ?" she asked as she furiously tousled her fingers together.

"For waiting on me...I half expected you to go home." he said scratching the back of his head before smiling.

"I don't know much about being a friend, but I figure your a great friend " he said grinning widely.

Hinata's face darkened several shades as she tried to utter a reply but was silenced as Naruto took her hand into his.

"Oi come on Hinata we're running out of daylight, I'll show you where I like to train and buy us both Ramen afterwards." he said excitedly.

"B-buy m-me Ramen?" she questioned shyly 'Does that mean it's a date ?' she wondered.

"Hai my way of saying I'm sorry for keeping you waiting." he explained before bounded off practically dragging a nearly comatose Hinata with him.

"So what do you think ?" he asked as he looked around the clearing for a long moment.

"Ano I t-think this must have once been an old t-training ground." she said softly as her lavender gaze studied her surroundings noting the overgrowth that covered about half of the clearing.

As her attention returned to Naruto she began fidgeting in place as her nerves began to get the best of her.

"Oi Hinata are you ok ? " asked Naruto as he eyed her curiously as he wondered why she looked so nervous.

"H-hai I j-just d-don't w-want to h-hurt you at all N-naruto-kun" she said timidly.

Naruto grinned as he offered her a smile and a thumbs up.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan only by doing our best can we get better" he said as he took a sloppy taijutsu stance.

"H-hai N-naruto-kun I promise I will do my best a-and I won't back down for that is my nindo" she declared almost void of a stutter to which Naruto couldn't help but smile.

'That sort of sounds like my Nindo' he thought to himself not realizing that in fact it was and furthermore Hinata had chosen it because she admired him so much.

Naruto pushed aside a strange feeling in his stomach as he darted forward with his right hand cocked backwards.

As he lunged forward to strike, Hinata with ease knocked aside his hand causing him to fly past her.

Naruto rolled before springing back to his feet.

Throughout the ensuing fight Naruto would follow one sloppy maneuver with another to which Hinata would easily evade or counter attack. While she did not go on the offense, it proved unnecessary as within a few minutes of sparring Naruto found himself laying on the ground panting. Many of his Tenketsu were closed due to Hinata gentle fists strikes.

"N-naruto-kun S-should we stop? " asked Hinata quietly he felt horrible as the last thing she wanted to do was break Naruto's spirit.

Naruto sat up slowly still panting as he looked intently at Hinata.

"N-no Hinata when I asked you to train with me I promised myself that together we'd make each other stronger...what kind of person would I be now if I gave up now ? I won't turn back...together we will both get stronger...I always keep my promises...b-because that is my nindo" he said still breathing heavily as he forced himself to rise back to his feet.

Hinata blushed deeply. This was why she admired him so much it wasn't because he was the strongest, it was because he had the strongest will. If a proud failure could get back up and fight again to prove everyone wrong then she could fight on to prove herself to her family and more so to herself.

"Alright no way I'm going down as easy again...give it your best shot Hinata" Naruto said as fire could be seen in his eyes as he took a wild untrained stance.

Hinata smiled to herself as she took her family's fighting stance and reactivated her Byakugan.

"Hai Naruto-kun" she managed without a stutter as she studied his stance. She wondered how he would approach his next move.

Naruto smiled as he summoned the strength to make his tired body move again before he darted forward relying more on pure will then any energy left in his body. This time when he punched at her he instinctively stepped to the side to avoid her counterattack.

After trading a few blows as the time passed he once again felt himself growing thoroughly exhausted while Hinata was only slightly winded at the moment.

So rather than another flurry of sloppy strikes he decided to go with something unpredictable, He ran forward rather unexpectedly however when Hinata counterattacked with a open palm the Naruto in front of her was replaced with a log. She could see Naruto reappear right behind her with her Byakugan, she turned swiftly, but before she could counterattack he pounced her landing directly on top of her.

She looked at him with wide eyed as he pinned her arms down.

"Hah I did it" he exclaimed mere inches from her face.

"This is all too soon" she squeaked before blushing like a tomato and fainting immediately.

"Eh? " Naruto screeched as he looked at the unconscious Hinata.

"Hinata ? Hinata?!" he yelled

* * *

A few short hours later Naruto sat beside Hinata at Ichikaru's. He had just polished off his tenth bowl when he turned to offer Hinata one of his foxiest grins.

"Sorry again for earlier Hinata-chan...at the time it seemed like a good idea" he said laughing as he scratched the back of his head.

"N-no it's o-ok N-naruto-kun" replied Hinata timidly with a smile.

"Say Hinata if your so good why do you hold back in class? I'm sure you could give even the Teme a run for Rookie of the year" he exclaimed.

Hinata blushed as she ate some of her own ramen.

"I-I don't know I g-guess I only f-feel this strong when I-I'm around you" she admitted with a blush staining her cheeks as she kept her face down.

Naruto's eyes widened before he allowed a real smile to cross his face.

"Hey Hinata I realized after our training that we share the same Nindo... we should always do our best" he said as he reached out and squeezed her hand gently.

Hinata though blushing furiously nodded. "Hai -N-naruto-kun" she replied after a moment as she stared into those beautiful cerulean eyes.

"Hinata thanks again for today..you know other than Iruka-Sensei and the old man your my only friend" he admitted quietly as he looked into her lavender pools.

"Y-you don't h-have to t-thank me N-naruto-kun...t-there's no w-where I would have r-rather b-been today" she stuttered before blushing feverishly as she realized what she'd said.

Naruto sat there stunned by her confession, he'd never met someone so gentle...He couldn't help, but smile and scratch the back of his head sheepishly as a familiar voice from behind him nearly made him jump.

"Oh hey Naruto...Hinata " called Iruka as he approached the Ramen bar and took a seat on the other side of Naruto.

"Should have known I'd find you here...though I'm a bit surprised to see Hinata here..." he chuckled.

Naruto smiled oblivious to his Sensei's insinuations. "Oi I think I'd show Hinata the best place in the world.." he exclaimed.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm, and for some reason Naruto found himself cracking a smile. Something about her laugh was contagious...she looked better with a smile on her face...it suited her.

Iruka allowed a small smile as he looked between the duo. "Heh just don't stick her with your bill Naruto..."

Hinata noticing the time slowly slipped off her chair.

"Arigato N-naruto-kun for t-training and ramen, but I s-should be getting home now. I'll see you t-tomorrow.." she paused as she looked at Iruka.

"Goodbye Sensei" she said offering another quick bow before she slipped out of the Ramen stand.

"So did I interrupt something Naruto?" Iruka asked grinning slightly as he enjoyed ribbing the blonde.

"Eh ? No way! What's up Sensei, here to buy me some more Ramen?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Not a chance I'm still broke after the last time you left me with the tab, Naruto I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. I doubted you when I shouldn't have" he admitted.

Naruto blinked as he looked at his Sensei. "What do you mean Sensei?" he asked.

"I just mean that I know you've been trying harder and I want you to keep at it. I don't think you'll have to worry about getting anymore strange questions on your tests, just don't use that as an excuse not to study." Iruka said seriously before allowing another small smile.

"Hehe thanks Sensei" he said offering a rare sincere smile.

A couple of hours later Naruto sat with a small smile on his face as he stared at his favorite pair of goggles. They were one of his most prized possessions. He remembered the day he got him so vividly. He even had kept the box all these years.

**_*Flashback*_**

The nine year old boy sat with his arms hugging his knees against his chest. He didn't know why he expected anything to change, but he thought surely since starting the academy that someone...anyone would have wished him a happy birthday. There were times he wished everything was over, JiJi tried his best, but the old man couldn't fill the hole of loneliness he felt.

He sniffed as remembered how excited he was earlier.

But no one had remembered that October tenth was anything other then the Anniversary of the Nine tails' attack on the village.

Before he broke into sobs he heard a faint knock on the door before scurrying outside.

He sniffed once more wiping his cheek before he walked over to the door opening it slowly. There right in front of the door was a neatly wrapped box with a small Onigiri resting on top.

His large blue eyes widened as he looked around seeing no one near his apartment complex. He leaned down and picked up the box as a large smile spread across his face as he turned for the door looking back out one more time.

"Whoever you are Arigato" he said before he stepped inside shutting the door with his foot.

As he opened the package he was met with a wonderful lavender scent and inside the box along side the goggles, stuck in the wrapping paper he saw a yellow flower petal.

**_*End Flashback*_**

Naruto stopped in the midst of his reverie as he began to mull things over. He wasn't the brightest at times, but he wasn't nearly as thick as many would assume.

'That scent...the flower petal...could it have been Hinata-chan' he wondered as he leaned back on his bed. After a moment a smile crept upon his face. It had happened so fast but she truly was his first friend...his first bond..he didn't want to lose that ever. After a moment he placed his hands behind his head as he wondered to himself what he could do to better prepare himself for Genin graduation exam. His heart ached as he thought of failing again and seeing Hinata move on without him. He shook his head vigorously.

'No together we'll kick that exam's ass' he thought to himself.

"Together with our Nindo" he mumbled as his eyes shut and after a moment he drifted right to sleep.

* * *

Hinata lay unable to move at all in her bed. When she had returned from the Ramen stand the Hyuuga Elders had forced her to fight her sister yet again. As exhausted as she was even if she was actually trying she would have been hard pressed to win, however holding back she had been quickly defeated by her little sister. She closed her eyes blinking back tears just as her door opened slowly.

Looking up her face held fear however her expression softened when she saw Hanabi standing there with a sad expression on her face.

"Oneesan why do you always hold back and let yourself get hurt like that ?" she said as she darted across the room and leapt onto the bed before wrapping her arms around Hinata.

"Imouto I love you and I would never let anything bad happen to you, I was so young when Mother died, but I promised myself and Mama that I would always look after you" Hinata said softly as she ran her hand through her little sister's hair.

"I know Oneesan...but it's just not fair how all of them treat you...just because you won't fight me" she said sniffling softly.

"Imouto it will be fine one day things will be right" she whispered as she hugged her crying sister harder.

'Maybe one day I'll know why everyone really hates me' she thought to herself smiling softly as she could feel Hanabi's cries growing fainter and fainter.

'Naruto-kun one of these days we'll both prove them wrong...with our nindo' she thought as her eyelids fluttered closed after a moment as she held her sister close and began dreaming of a certain ramen addicted knucklehead.


	2. Chapter 2

A month had passed since the first time Naruto had began training with Hinata. Though it had only been a month, both of them had seen great improvement. Hinata's confidence while still low had grown by leaps and bounds. Her stuttering while still a problem at times had diminished greatly as well. Her confidence had begun to show at school as well, as within a month she was beginning to give Sakura a run for female rookie of the year. Naruto on the other hand had improved greatly however with only a month there wasn't much he could do in regards to turning his grades around, he could only hope that his improvement would help him fair better in this year's graduation exam. His grades had improved slightly though following Mizuki's abrupt reprimand. Though the students were unaware of it he was now skating on thin ice for sabotaging a student, no matter what the reason was.

Sasuke over the course of this month had been surprisingly growing closer to Naruto and Hinata. Though most of their class had not noticed their growth it was something the young Uchiha was unable to miss. Having been served his first defeat in a academy Taijutsu match by none other than little shy Hinata. He was no fool he soon realized her improvement and the improvement of the dobe had begun shortly after the two had begun spending time with one another.

To the amazement of Hinata and Naruto it was Sasuke that had approached them in regards to training.

* * *

_**-Flash Back-**_

As another long day at the academy had drawn to a close, most of those in the classroom had already filed out leaving only Hinata,Naruto,Sasuke and Iruka who still stood at the front of the room.

"Oi Hyuuga...Dobe" he said as he looked at the pair who were preparing to leave.

"Dammit Teme don't call Hinata-Chan Hyuuga she has a first name ! So use it " he said narrowing his eyes as he glared at the raven haired ninja.

Hinata simply blushed as she fidgeted slightly beside Naruto as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What do you need Sasuke-san ?" asked Hinata softly as she looked at the dark haired boy.

Sasuke swallowed his pride so much that it hurt him terribly as he looked at the pair for a moment.

"I was wondering if I could join you two for training ? I don't know what the two of you have been doing, but I've seen the results of your training and I think I could benefit from it as well" he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets as he felt awkward.

Naruto and Hinata shared a look that for some reason seemed to convey a lot before Naruto looked back at Sasuke and gave him a thumbs up.

"Sure thing Teme, but your buying us lunch at Ichikaru's first" exclaimed Naruto to which Hinata giggled.

Sasuke groaned but shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever Dobe I'll pay for a quick lunch as long as we train afterwards" he stated in a bored tone.

-Thirty Minutes Later-

"Five Thousand Ryo for lunch! what the hell ?" screamed a livid Sasuke

"Calm down Sasuke you did say you were covering lunch!" cried Naruto before he laughed nervously.

"I said a quick lunch I didn't intend for you to order one bowl of every flavor " he said as he glared at Naruto who was still seated beside him.

A small voice interrupted Sasuke's tirade.

"Ano...Sasuke-kun I'm sorry"said Hinata as she looked down blushing.

Sasuke groaned but relaxed himself a bit as he looked over at the shy heiress.

"It's fine Hinata-san I have the money to cover Naruto's addiction" he said glumly.

"Ano I was...actually apologizing about something else " she said blushing furiously.

Then he saw something that truly terrified him the tiny heiress had a series of at least 15 empty ramen bowels stacked in front of her.

Then in a very unsasuke like manner he face palmed.

'Great I'm stuck training with not one, but two Ramen addicts, Kami I hope they don't expect me to cover lunch everyday'

Despite the antics at lunch the trio would end up making a daily ritual to meet up after school for a few hours of training everyday. With the presence of the duo and the progress they made during this month, for the first time Sasuke would start to wonder if perhaps the power he sought would actually be easier to grasp with comrades.

**_-End Flashback-_**

* * *

-Day of the Graduation Exams-

Naruto beamed happily as he walked into the classroom, he glanced up at Hinata and Sasuke who were already seated in their usual spots in the back of the classroom. He gave both of them thumbs up as he darted up the stairs, Hinata smiled shyly while Sasuke rolled his eyes but smirked at the knucklehead.

Moments before Naruto arrived at his seat he heard the screech of a fangirl and realized it was far too late to avoid it.

"Out of the way Naruto-Baka...I'm sitting with Sasuke-kun today" yelled Sakura triumphantly as she pushed Naruto.

Naruto losing his balance fell forward. Sasuke seeing the horrible moment that was about to occur made a spur of the moment decision.

There was a puff of smoke and then nothing but silence for a very long moment...

Naruto was now on top of Hinata with his lips pressed against hers.

Sasuke sighed a breath of relief.

'Substitution was a success' he thought before he relaxed his shoulders.

Naruto's eyes widened as his entire face blushed tomato red matching Hinata's color perfectly.

'I-I wow her lips are so soft'

'N-Naruto-kun is kissing me'

These were the last thoughts that the two had before both passed out almost immediately.

Moments later Iruka and Mizuki sensei would arrive to a loud classroom and see both Naruto and Hinata passed out on top of one another.

'Do I even want to know ?' wondered Iruka as he sighed.

Mizuki however was having different thoughts as he observed the pair.

He knew exactly now how he would pull off his scheme tonight, it would only take a bit off sabotage and subterfuge on his part...

It'd didn't matter if he was already tempting fate, after tonight he would be far far away from the leaf with a present for his master.

Thirty minutes had passed since the earlier incident between Hinata and Naruto. The pair for their part sat blushing furiously, looking away from one another, as student by student started to be called to head to the examination room.

When Hinata's name was finally called she paled as she stood slowly her entire frame betrayed her nervousness.

Naruto noticing her distress reached out and touched her shoulder .

"Oi Hinata-chan go kick that exams ass! I know you can do it Dattebayo!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as he grinned at her.

Sasuke seated next to the blonde rolled his eyes but smirked.

"Naruto is right for a change, just calm down,don't make a big deal of it and hurry up so I can get in their sooner" he said before lacing his hands together as he looked away.

Hinata smiled as she looked at the two boys.

"T-thankyou N-naruto-kun...Sasuke-san she said with a shy smile as she took a deep breath before walking down the stairs before following a chunin to the examination room.

Naruto held his hands behind his head as he looked over at Sasuke

"Teme that was actually pretty nice for you" admitted Naruto with a hint of reluctance.

Sasuke just grunted as he didn't bother turning his head.

"Don't read too much into it , she's just the only girl in this Academy who I can stand, because she actually takes her training seriously. Truth be told I pray since I have to be stuck with two others it's her and someone else who won't get in my way or drive me nuts" he said as he cringed as he looked over at his fangirls who were all starring at him with hearts in their eyes.

Naruto just sighed as he laid his head on his desk as he hoped Hinata did well and better yet this time around he wouldn't be forced to make a bunshin on the exam.

The day progressed rather slowly as one by one everyone that went into the examination room would return with a headband. No one at this point truly knew where their accumulative score lay as their final grades would remain a mystery until the day everyone received their team assignment. As the day finally waned on Sasuke stood as his name was called and put his hands in his pockets before descending the stairs.

"Oi goodluck in there Teme" called Naruto to which a series of fangirls cast him a deathglare.

"Do your best Sasuke-san" said Hinata is a soft voice.

Sasuke grunted as he ignored the cries of the fangirls and looked back at Naruto and Hinata.

He said nothing but simply smirked before he strode out of the room.

Coming as no surprise Sasuke returned a few minutes later with a nice shiny headband on his forehead.

He seemed sincerely pleased but restrained as he ascended the stairs and took his seat again.

"Nice one Sasuke! I bet you really kicked ass" said Naruto with a real smile as he patted him on the shoulder.

Sasuke remained silent for a moment considering hitting Naruto for even touching him, but instead he returned the smile shocking both Naruto and Hinata who stared at him mystified.

"Naruto Uzumaki" called a chunin from below. The words were lost on Naruto as he seemed in shock that Sasuke was even capable of smiling.

Sasuke grunted as his typical demeanor returned "I'm an Uchiha what do you expect ? Now stop starring at me like that Dobe! Go on before you're failed for being late." he said before he crossed his arms and smirked.

Naruto's eyes widened as he stood up and immediately began descending the stairs.

"Do your best N-naruto-kun" stuttered Hinata as she watched her crush intently.

Naruto turned as he reached the bottom of the stairs and flashed Hinata and Sasuke a grin and thumbs up before following the Chunin male to the testing room.

No sooner had Naruto left the room then several of his classmates began talking about him.

"There's no way that Baka will pass, he's already failed twice and with his grades as bad as they are there's no way he'll pass now" said Sakura.

"Well forehead not everyone has a head your size." commented Ino cheekily as she looked over at her former bestfriend.

"Shut it Ino-pig" said Sakura as she glared at Ino.

'I wish both of you would shut it' thought Shikamaru as he covered his ears to try and drown out their voices.

"Damn troublesome women" he muttered to himself.

Choji just laughed as he glanced over at his bestfriend.

"I don't think there's a jutsu that can fix that Shikamaru" he said before he opened up another bag of chips.

Shikamaru just groaned as he considered buying earplugs.

"You think I'm right don't you Sasuke-kun ?" asked Sakura as she beamed at the raven haired ninja.

Sasuke studied the back of his hands as if he found them much more interesting then Sakura at the moment when a voice few recognized spoke up from the corner of the room.

"Sakura-san why do you presume to know everything about our classmate ? Furthermore why do you take it upon yourself to treat someone that may very well be a future comrade as inferior to yourself ?" he asked a faint buzzing sound could be heard though the origins remained a mystery to those in the classroom.

Sakura huffed as if the answer was obvious, but stumbled a minute before finally replying. "It's because Naruto-baka is a loser who instead of taking his studies serious wastes time and causes those around him to pay for his stupid mistakes, on top of that he fails at everything he does and to top it all off he is obnoxious."

Shino rather than speaking immediately simply stared at Sakura before shaking his head.

"Your Wrong" cried a voice to which everyone in the classroom turned to stare at.

Hinata stood straight for a change her gaze intense as she glared at Sakura.

Her fist clenched the side of the desk roughly as she found her voice.

"N-naruto-kun may not always get things the first time around and yes he struggles at times with things that are easier for some of us, but he never gives up a-and he never backs down. He's what a true ninja should be...even with all your cruel words, Naruto still considers you and everyone in here a comrade worth p-protecting."she said before a blush settled on her cheeks before she quickly sat back down feeling absolutely embarrassed for her outburst.

Sakura like many others in the classroom sat in shock, the most many of them had ever heard from Hinata was the occasionally whisper or stutter, certainly nothing like this.

Sasuke finally looked up and actually laughed as he looked at Hinata. Something about her jumping to Naruto's defense in such a way struck him as comical and in return drew him a few looks as well.

"Hey Sakura ?" he said after a moment.

"Y-yes ? She asked still reeling from the blow Hinata's words had dealt her.

"Please shut up and focus more on your own training and less on using Naruto as a punching bag" he said before grunting as he lowered his gaze.

Sasuke's eyes widened when he noticed that where Hinata's hand had clenched the desk earlier the metal was completely warped.

'She crushed through solid metal with her bare hand' he wondered to himself before he shook his head deciding mentally to file this discovery away for another time or at least keep in mind to avoid crossing her.

When Naruto finally returned to the room he found it completely silent.

He looked around a bit surprised by how quiet everyone had gotten as he stepped fully into view he grinned before flashing a thumbs up at Hinata and Sasuke before raising his thumb to point at his shiny new headband.

A few people in the classroom shared a look and Naruto could have almost sworn a few of them showed regret.

Sakura for her part kept her head down as she felt a pang of guilt for not only what she'd said earlier, but by the way she had been treating Naruto for all these years. It seemed that she really didn't know him as well as she had first assumed.

As Naruto reached Hinata and Sasuke he took a seat before hugging Hinata tightly.

"Phew I kicked that test's ass Hinata-chan...well cept the bunshin part, but our training made a difference "he said grinning before realizing all too late that the girl in his arms had already fainted.

"Glad all that training wasn't wasted Naruto" stated Sasuke as he just nodded at Naruto.

"Nah not this time Teme, third time was a charm" he said flashing a grin.

Mizuki watched seething beneath the surface as Iruka informed the entire class that they had all passed and that team selections would be announced tomorrow.

'Dammit I was banking on the demon brat to fail' he thought as he looked at Naruto who was still holding on to the Hyuuga Heiress who was still unconscious.

'Ah yes the brat is close to the Heiress, I'll just adjust my plan slightly and take a little something extra as a gift to my Master' he thought as he watched with interest as the classroom was finally dismissed.

Naruto left as soon as the class was dismissed, he decided against remaining with his graduated peers this evening, being around their families would only serve as a reminder of what he didn't have and he knew well enough the treatment he would likely receive by many of the adults.

He sighed as he made his way inside his apartment and fell on the bed.

'Well I finally did it' he thought to himself as he stared at the ceiling.

"I just wish I had a family to celebrate with" he whispered to himself, but before he could linger too much on such thoughts the glass to one of his windows was shattered as a kunai flew through the room landing only inches from his bed with a note attached to it.

"What the hell " he screamed as he flipped off the bed immediately grabbing the kunai before throwing the door open and looking around his apartment complex for the perpetrator to no avail...

He gritted his teeth as he unfolded the note expecting another misguided threat from one of the civilians however instead before him he saw something much worse...

_"Brat if you ever wish to see the Hyuuga Heiress alive you will follow the orders below and meet me at the following location."_

Naruto clenched his fist as he read the details on the note. He stopped on the last sentence as a tremor shook through his body.

_"Should you tell anyone I will personally slit the girl's throat...do not be late"_

Night had fallen well over two hours ago as he now leaned against the small shed where he had been informed to meet Hinata's Kidnapper. Naruto had wasted no time in sneaking into the Hokage's residence and stealing the scroll, he now lay against the shed studying the scroll intently. Even though he was willing to trade the scroll for Hinata he realized there was more than just a chance that whoever had taken her could just as easy attempt to kill both him and Hinata after receiving the scroll. Perhaps his only chance at beating this unknown enemy lay in the forbidden jutsus on this scroll.

'Dammit these seals are so complicated...I think I can only make heads or tails of this first one' he thought before he froze as he heard movement.

He quickly leapt to his feet before closing the scroll.

"Naruto what have you done ?" cried Iruka as he landed in front of Naruto.

"No Sensei what are you doing here ?You can't be here" he said his face growing pale.

"Naruto why would you steal the scroll of seals? I was so proud of you today wh-" he was cut off by Naruto.

"Iruka-Sensei I can explain, but now is not a good time" he said as he felt his heart began to race.

Iruka's eyes narrowed but before he could push Naruto for any more answers both turned hearing movement in the nearby trees.

As they turned they saw Mizuki standing in a tree holding a tied up Hinata in his arms.

"Mizuki?...Sensei?" both Iruka and Naruto said at the same time as they stared in shock at the Chunin.

"Well brat it seems like it was a mistake to trust you to not draw attention to yourself...but you have brought me the scroll" he said before he dropped the bound Hinata on a tree branch as an evil grin spread across his lips.

"Why are you doing this Mizuki?" Iruka asked as he took a defensive stance and reached for a Kunai.

"Oh poor Iruka don't take this personal, but you all are just stepping stones for me. I wouldn't have bothered killing you, but now you've become a witness. First I'll deal with the boy ...then you" he said as he pulled from his back a large shuriken and jumped airborne. As he leaped through the air he threw it faster than Naruto could detect. Moments before it collided into the poor genin, Iruka intercepted the attack and in the process took a grievous wound to his back.

Mizuki landed and chuckled.

"Now that's a surprise why would Iruka bother protecting the demon brat ?" he wondered aloud as he looked to Naruto.

"Let me tell you a little secret brat...maybe then you'll understand why everyone hates you" he said.

Naruto's expression become blank as he clenched his fist looking at his sensei as his mind grew clouded.

"Stop it Mizuki it is forbidden" cried Iruka before he howled in pain from the effort.

Naruto who was still behind Iruka moved forward wordlessly as his blue eyes shifted to a crimson red color with a predatorial slit in the middle.

"Save it you idiot...I've known about my situation for years" he said his voice taking on a much deeper tone as it was infused with a much darker presence.

Both Iruka and Mizuki were clearly shocked by this revelation.

"What you thought that for my entire life I never wondered why most of the village treated me like a monster ?, Do you think I was oblivious when certain places wouldn't even let me shop and hurled all sorts of curses at me ? Do you want to know why I act so carefree and happy most of the time ? It's not because I'm oblivious ...it's because this mask of mine is one of the few things that keeps me sane. I'm friggin 12 years old and I have had more attempts on my life then some ninja experience their whole life. But you know what Mizuki-Baka ? I know the difference in being a demon and being a jailor...and I forgive those people that make my life a living hell everyday, because I intend to prove them wrong and then one day protect them when I become Hokage."he stated as his eyes shifted back to their normal cerulean blue color.

'N-naruto-kun you are amazing' thought Hinata as she stared at her crush...for some reason she couldn't explain this new aspect to him only made him more endearing...and there was something more a feeling in her stomach...in her core she couldn't explain. It was almost as if a part of her already knew his greatest secret...

"Naruto you have to run...get Hinata and get out of here" yelled Iruka.

Naruto looked to Hinata and silently prayed she would be alright and...that she would not hate him like most of the village did because of his tenet.

"No way Sensei...this headband means I'm a ninja of the leaf...I won't back down and I won't abandon one of my comrades" he declared as he stared down Mizuki

"Heh quite a speech brat...but you are and always will be nothing more than a shell for the Kyuubi...I'll do you a favor and end your suffering " he said before he summoned another large shuriken before hurling it at Naruto.

Instead of hitting his target the large Shuriken would instead hit a replacement log.

"I believe it's my turn you bastard." he said as he formed a series of handseals.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu" he cried as hundreds of Naruto's appeared around the surrounding area.

"W-what in the world is this ?" cried Mizuki as the hundreds of Naruto's leapt forward all at once with a barrage of punches and kicks.

"This is for betraying the leaf" a chorus of Naruto's cried as they assaulted Mizuki.

"This is for hurting Iruka-Sensei" another group said as they forced him down to the ground.

Naruto dismissed his clones as he walked forward picking up the battered Mizuki by the collar as he glared at him.

"and this is for threatening Hinata-chan" he screamed as he cocked back his fist before burying into Mizuki's face breaking his nose in several places...

Naruto panted deeply as he summoned a single shadow clone to untie Hinata as he himself leapt down to check on Iruka.

"Sensei? are you ok?" he asked in a worried tone.

Iruka forced a smile as he looked at his favorite student.

"I'll be fine...I'm sure Anbu will be here soon...Naruto I'm so proud of you" he beamed as he patted the blonde haired genin on the shoulder.

Naruto grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Thankyou Sensei, you and Hinata-chan really are two of my most precious people" he said with a sincere smile as Hinata leaped down next to him and to his surprise embraced him behind with a hug.

Naruto actually blushed before he turned and hugged the petite girl as well.

"Oi are you ok Hinata-chan ? Did that bastard hurt you ? why are you crying ? " he exclaimed frantically as he hugged her tighter.

"I-I'm just so glad Iruka-sensei and N-naruto-kun are ok" she sniffled as she buried her head further into his chest her face glowing a deeper shade of red by the minute before she finally became limp in his arms when she realized just how bold she'd been with her crush.

"OI HINATA-Chan ! Are you sick ? Iruka-Sensei what do we do ? I think Hinata-chan needs medical attention too" he said in a frantic voice.

Iruka just shook his head.

'Naruto you've come such a long way...but you still have so much to learn' he thought before he laughed softly.

"Sensei this isn't funny Hinata is all red in the face and isn't conscious" he exclaimed.

"MMmmm...Naruto-kun" purred Hinata from her sleep as she nuzzled deep against his chest.

Iruka laughed again wincing only slightly from the pain.

"Oh Naruto I've got a feeling Hinata is doing just fine" he said smirking as the blonde began blushing the deepest shade of red

* * *

The events of the previous night were still consuming the thoughts of not only those involved, but the Third Hokage as well. He had tossed and turned all night deliberating over the team assignments that were scheduled for today. Over a month ago with this particular list of graduates he would have had little difficulty assigning them, however something had changed greatly in a month.

It seemed strange however one particular person had him stumped, Hinata Hyuuga, Jinchuriki of the Two Tailed Nibi. With recent events he was put in a difficult position. The girl's grades had risen and it seemed she had tied for female rookie of the year with Sakura. He could easily choose either for Team 7 with Sasuke as the rookie male of the year and Naruto rounding off the group as even with his improvement he still ranked at the bottom of his class. The problem Sarutobi faced was that Kurenai was expecting a primarily tracking based team, which Hinata would excel in, however on the other hand based on Iruka's reports the girl had been spending a lot of time with Naruto and surprisingly Sasuke. It seemed the three had already bonded to some degree and considering they were already one of the scenarios he had in mind it would be so simple to choose them as a genin squad.

He drummed his fingers as he studied the list again intently trying to focus on the entirety of the team assignments.

"Teams 1-6 are decided as is Team 10. With Team 9 still active that leaves only Team 7 and 8 left" he said frowning as he once again found himself back to square one.

"Now it comes down to a simple choice...where does Hinata and Sakura go ?" he wondered aloud as he leaned back in his chair as he closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath as the multiple facets of this decision weighed on his mind.

'If I assign Hinata to team 7 it would likely be a better fit for her and the rest of her squad, however putting two Jinchurikis in the same team could be foolhardy or beneficial for the long term.' he thought.

'On the other hand if I assign Hinata to Team 8 it would satisfy Kurenai as she is the girl's guardian at the moment, however the only problem with the Jinchuriki being separated is I would be obligated to inform more individuals of Hinata's status as a Jinchuriki...and I don't even believe the girl knows at the moment. The more that know of her condition...the greater chance there is of this becoming public and the greater chance of her being ostracized like Naruto is' he thought as his brows furrowed.

'Now on to Sakura...from what I know she is brilliant, but her desire to dote on Sasuke and berate Naruto could cause the entire team to become compromised. Theres a chance her teammates would grow to resent her and her fawning over Sasuke could jeopardize their entire squad on an assignment. Naruto,Sakura, and Sasuke have so many parallels to my old team...there is that potential there, but again should I risk the unity of a squad on a hopeful gambit that they may become the second generation of Sannin?' he thought shaking his head.

Sarutobi exhaled deeply before closing his eyes for a long moment.

As he opened his eyes he brought pen to paper as he made his final decision and hoped it was the right one.

* * *

-Academy-

The Graduated Genin sat in anticipation as they awaited for Iruka to arrive in the classroom and announce their teams.

Most of those gathered were buzzing about a series of rumors surrounding Mizuki from the night before. Though fortunately all there was to discuss was simply rumor as any real details were classified as well as those who were involved.

As the class waited eagerly, many of the fangirls could be heard gushing over the chance of being on the same team as Sasuke.

Hinata prodded her fingers together as she felt her heart racing.

'I really hope I end up on Naruto-kun's team' she thought before she smiled shyly at the blonde.

Naruto returned the smile with a thumbs up.

"Oi I can't believe this day is finally here ! I'm excited how bout you Hinata-chan ? Sasuke ?" he said looking between the two.

Sasuke just grunted an affirmative while Hinata nodded before speaking.

"Hai h-hopefully I can make m-my team and c-clan proud" she stuttered before adverting her eyes as she wondered if the later was even possible.

"I have no doubt about that Hinata-chan " he said enthusiastically.

"You and me will be the best believe it!" he yelled to which a few people turned to stare at him.

Hinata just looked at the ground blushing furiously at the blonde's antics.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"You know Naruto at times a big aspect of being a ninja is learning how to be quiet ...how bout practicing that a bit ?" he suggested as looked over at the hyperactive blonde.

"What was that Teme ?" cried Naruto as he grabbed the boy by the collar and cocked back his fist.

Before either of them could begin their typical brawl they felt two tiny hands on their chest pushing them apart. They both looked down to see the shy heiress, before anything further could be said the door to the room opened up as Iruka strode in albeit a bit slower today with a faint smile on his lips.

As everyone settled into their seats he approached the front of the room before speaking in a clear loud voice.

"Everyone I can't begin to describe how proud of you I am today! You've all have come so very far and while this is a milestone for you all it is just the beginning. Their will be countless trials and tribulations you will face as Ninja as well as difficult decisions, I just hope you all look back and reflect on the lessons you've learned here to guide forward into the future." he said as his eyes looked across the entire room at each of the many faces. His eyes lingered for a moment on Naruto before he found his voice once again.

"With no further ado, I would first like to announce the Female Rookie or should I say Rookies of the year. Sakura Haruno and Hinata Hyuuga ...both of these ladies have tied in regards to their final scores and I'm very proud of both of you." he said as he clapped his hands in which many of the class followed suit.

Many in the classroom seemed a bit taken back not by Sakura's final grade, but by the fact that the shy Heiress had matched her grade wise.

Naruto cheered loudly as he leaned over and squeezed the already embarrassed Hinta.

"Wooh way to go Hinata-chan your the best" he exclaimed to which the red faced Hinata fought her hardest to keep from fainting from his touch and words.

Sasuke smirked as he said nothing but simply inclined his head towards Hinata acknowledging her success.

Iruka smiled as he let the noise in the class die down before speaking again.

"As for our Male rookie of the year we have Sasuke Uchiha who I have no doubt will apply himself with nothing less than 100% going forward. I'm very proud of you as well Sasuke" he said sincerely as he looked at the raven haired boy.

Sasuke said nothing but groaned at the sound of the squealing fangirls.

Naruto pouted as he looked away and began muttering to himself.

"That should be me and not Sasuke-teme" he said as he poked his fingers together almost in a Hinata fashion.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle as Sasuke smirked.

"Well waiting till the last month to apply yourself doesn't leave you with much room to catch me" he said as he crossed his arms.

Naruto said nothing for a moment before he flashed a grin.

"Well I'll just have to get better than you now that we're full fledged Ninja " he said

"You can try" taunted Sasuke as he and the blonde began a starring contest.

"Ano...Iruka-Sensei is waiting for us to be quiet" whispered Hinata to the two boys who looked down to see an irritated Iruka.

"As I was saying ...now we will begin Team assignments. I will tell you who is in your team as well as your Jonin Sensei." he informed the class before he cleared his throat and after a moment began calling the first of the teams that were assigned.

One by one teams 1-6 were called leaving the remaining 9 genin anxious as the next announcement could very well effect them.

'Please let me be with Sasuke-kun' thought Ino and Sakura at the same time as they glared at one another.

Naruto felt his stomach tighten as he looked over at Hinata who also seemed was the first time he was truly afraid that of how he would cope if she wasn't his teammate. He took a deep breath as he looked over at Sasuke he by comparison seemed calm. In reality however Sasuke was just as nervous, the thought of being stuck with an idiotic fangirl terrified him.

Iruka looked down to the next team and his eyes widened, it was clear he had expected something else.

"Team 7 will consist of...

"Hinata Hyuuga" Hinata's heart began racing as she awaited the next name to be announced.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Both Ino and Sakura cursed mentally as they glared daggers at Hinata.

"and Kiba Inuzuka" he said to which both Naruto and Hinata's hearts fell. All their hopes of working together had been dashed.

However only a moment passed before Iruka coughed and tried to hide a blush.

"Oh I'm so sorry I skipped down to Team 8, forgive me I didn't have much sleep last night" he commented to which Naruto practically burst out of his seat as the bloody tension was killing him.

"The final member of team 7 is..." before he could finish speaking the door opened up as Shikamaru walked in yawning.

Naruto cried as he face planted the desk in front of him.

"Sorry would have set my alarm for earlier, but it was too troublesome" he murmured as he offered no further explanation as he found a seat before laying his head down.

Iruka's eyes twitched.

"Shikamaru Nara how do you know you haven't already been assigned ?" Iruka yelled obviously irritated at the unmotivated boy.

"Eh that's simple Sensei...it's not like it's any mystery of who I'll be working with. The Nara,Akimichi and Yamanka clans go way back and I'm pretty sure they've already arranged to have us together. " he said before he closed his eyes.

Iruka groaned shaking his head as he looked back down at his paper.

"P-please Iruka-sensei for the love of Kami tell us who is the final member of Team 7" said Naruto as he looked at Iruka with anime tears in his eyes.

Hinata was so red in the face she looked like she could pass out with the slightest provocation, the suspense was killing her. She activated her byakugan as she stared at the door to see if there would be any further interruptions.

Iruka smiled as he looked at the blonde knuckle-headed ninja.

"The final member of team 7 is Naruto Uzumaki" declared Iruka.

"WOohoo" cried Naruto as he turned and squeezed the Hyuuga Heiress next to him. He couldn't be any happier and nor could Hinata at the moment as she barely managed to avoid fainting.

"Well Dobe you better keep getting better so you don't hold me and Hinata back" said Sasuke before offered the blonde a grin.

Naruto huffed as he pulled away from Hinata and looked at Sasuke. "Oh count on it Teme! I'll kick your ass" he countered.

Hinata who was still in bliss looked at Naruto with her Byakugan still on and inadvertently saw more then she had intended as she fainted dead away her cheeks a bright crimson and a cute smile on her face.

Before she could fall out of her seat both Naruto and Sasuke caught her.

"OI teme any idea why Hinata keeps getting sick like this ?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke looked at Naruto incredulously 'Is he really that stupid?...wait of course he is' he thought to himself before shaking his head.

"Not a damn clue, though if I had to guess Hinata here got a good peek of you with her Byakugan on" he said smirking as the blonde's eyes widened before he blushed a red that would rival Hinatas.

Iruka had tried calling the trio multiple times...now he required desperate measures...The big head Jutsu.

"SHUT UP and Let me finish" he yelled to which Naruto and Sasuke snapped to attention.

"As I was saying your Sensei will be Hatake Kakashi." he stated.

Sakura and Ino sat in a deep depression as they glared in the direction of Naruto and more specifically Hinata. Neither were pleased to lose out to the Heiress in regards to not being on Sasuke's team.

Iruka cleared his throat.

"Let's continue...Team 8 will consist of Shino Aburame,Sakura Haruno, and Kiba Inuzuka. Your Jonin Sensei will be Kurenei Yuhi." he said

"Finally Team 10 will be comprised of Choji Akimichi,Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka" he stated.

"Where the hell is he ?" screamed Naruto as he stood up and began pacing back and forth across the now nearly empty classroom.

It had been three hours since the rest of the genin squads had left with their respective Jonin, leaving only Team 7 waiting for their overdue Senseis.

Hinata blushed as she simply prodded her fingers together nervously. She was still happy as can be by the fact she was on a team she trusted...and more importantly on a team with her crush.

Sasuke though he wouldn't admit it was nearly as frustrated as Naruto.

"Naruto chill he'lll be here eventually...I hope" he whispered the last part to himself as he crossed his arms.

Naruto huffed but a grin spread across his face as he walked to the chalkboard.

"Oi Sasuke help me.." he insisted as he grabbed an eraser.

"With what exactly ?" Sasuke asked as he arched a brow.

"With a little payback so our Sensei will learn to be on time from now on" he said as he giggled mischievously to himself.

Sasuke grunted as he stood up and walked to the front of the room where Naruto was.

"Here let me help you so you don't screw it up" he said smirking at the blonde as he took the eraser from his hand.

"Oi I'll have you know I'm an expert when it comes to these type of things Teme" cried Naruto as he glared at the raven haired Ninja next to him.

"Yeh and you also excel at being an idiot so let's make sure we do this right" he said as he began walking to the door with Naruto beside him.

Hinata giggled at her teammates antics but spoke up shyly as she hoped to make a good impression today with their sensei.

"Um ...N-naruto-kun...Sasuke-kun m-maybe our sensei has a good reason for being late...this c-could be our chance to m-make a good impression i-if we're patient" she said as she fidgeted slightly as both of the boys looked at her.

Naruto pouted as he looked at the heriess.

"But Hinata that sounds boring and it's obvious our sensei doesn't care about our first impression of him" he whined.

Hinata just giggled as Sasuke shook his head.

"I can't believe I actually considered doing that...thanks Hinata it seems that being around the Naruto makes you progressively dumber" he said before smirking as he clobbered Naruto upside the head with the eraser sending chalk flying all over the blonde.

Naruto turned to glare at Sasuke with an evil glint in his eye.

"Oh it's on now Teme" he cried as he lunged forward grabbing the eraser from Sasuke's hand before proceeding to smack the Uchiha with it.

Poor Hinata could only watch helplessly as the pair began their chalk war. Without turning her Byakugan on all she could see was flying chalk everywhere. A few moments later the door to the room flew open as a man presumably their Sensei stepped into the room.

The man was tall and mysterious as most of his face was obscured save his right eye. A mask covered his mouth and most of his face and his headband was pulled down covering his left eye from view. Other than his obscured visage his only other very defining feature from a glance was his his silvery grey hair. His attire consisted of a simple Jonin outfit. From his one visible eye he seemed rather bored as he looked over the three noticing Naruto and Sasuke who were still oblivious to his presence.

Hinata looked on warily as the boys who were still occupied...

"Ano N-naruto-kun...Sasuke-kun" she squeaked.

The two stopped as it finally registered someone else had come into the room.

Sasuke looked utterly horrified and embarrassed while Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

The cyclops ninja looked at the trio a moment before speaking.

"My first impression of you...is that your all idiots...I'll see you at the top of the tower in 15 minutes for introductions" he said before he formed a handseal and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Hinata bowed her head as she trembled slightly she already felt like a failure, what would she do if her clan heard of how her first meeting with her sensei had gone. She blinked back tears as she studied the desk in front of her.

Sasuke grunted while Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Oi that Cyclops is going to get a beating when I get up there...who does he think he is keeping us waiting like that?" he screamed.

After a moment he relaxed slightly as he looked over at Sasuke for a moment before speaking.

"Sorry about that Teme." he said after a moment.

Sasuke just grunted as he put his hands into his pockets.

"No it's fine its not everyday I get the chance to make an ass out of myself in front of our new Sensei" he replied sarcastically.

Naruto just ignored him for the moment as he walked over and looked at Hinata closely noticing that she had been crying only moments before.

Her head was still bowed as she studied the ground.

Naruto acting rather than thinking grabbed her chin gently and raised it till she was looking into his eyes.

"Hey Hina-chan I'm sorry If me and Sasuke made you cry because we acted like Bakas in front of our new Sensei" he said his eyes took a serious edge as it pained him to her like this.

Hinata's pale lavender eyes softened as a smile and blush crept up on her face.

"It's ok N-naruto-kun we're in this together now" she said before laughing softly.

Naruto felt a weird sensation in his stomach.

'What is it I'm beginning to feel when I'm around Hinata-chan' he wondered to himself.

_**"Why did I have to end up with a blockhead as a host ?...if I can't get out of here...next time I'm going to petition to have a Host that has some sense...seriously what kind of Ninja thinks Orange is a good idea" The fox groaned to himself as he pawed at the barred cage to no avail.**_

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. 'Dammit fluffy you haven't said anything in months and now of all times you choose to have your monologue ? Save it I'm trying to concentrate here' he shouted at the fox.

**_'I'm surprised you even know what a monologue is kit..now get back out there...the paled eyed one is growing concerned.' he said before he shut his eyes and laid back down._**

"N-Naruto-kun are you ok ?" Hinata asked again concerned.

"Uh oh his brain finally gave up the good fight" commented Sasuke who crossed his arms.

Naruto shook his head.

"Oh sorry bout that...blanked out there" he lied before laughing nervously.

Hinata sighed but smiled and Sasuke just grunted.

"Come on then Idiot..before we're late" he said.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yosh let's go " he yelled as he grabbed Hinata's hand and Sasuke's arm before making a mad dash out of the room and up the stairs.

* * *

A few minutes later the entirety of Team 7 found themselves seated together. The trio sat beside one another with Naruto in the middle and Hinata to his left and Sasuke to his right with Kakashi sitting lazily in front of them.

Kakashi looked at the trio before speaking "Before we discuss anything further I would like to take a moment for you us to get to know one another better, please introduce yourself, name some of your likes and dislikes and any dreams you may have for the future."he said.

"Ano...Sensei can you show us how it's done ?" asked Hinata timidly.

Kakashi nodded before speaking. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have many likes and dislikes...as far as dreams...well I haven't really given it much thought." he admitted before offering an eye smile.

Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously pointed a finger accusingly at the man "You didn't tell us anything we didn't already know" they yelled.

Kakashi blinked "Hmm I suppose your right" he said shrugging earning glares from both Naruto and Sasuke.

After a moment of silence Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Alright then Blondie how bout you go next" he said as he looked over at Naruto.

Naruto's nodded vigorously as he looked excited to speak.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki ! I like Ramen,Hinata-chan,training, pulling pranks...and " he looked over at Sasuke for a moment before continuing.

"Hanging out with Sasuke is pretty cool too" he said almost reluctantly before pausing a moment as he thought about his dislikes.

"I hate bastards that look down others or who think their better then someone else because there in some big shot clan, I also hate the time it takes to make instant ramen, the only other thing I can't stand is people who judge someone before getting to know them" he exclaimed.

It took him no time to express his ambitions. "My dream is to become the greatest Hokage there's ever been, so people will finally acknowledge me and I can prove who I am by protecting this village with my life." he stated before throwing his fist in the air.

Sasuke just shook his head and smirked however Hinata looked at the blonde with a blush on her cheeks.

'I believe in you Naruto-kun' she thought to herself as she allowed a small smile to spread across her lips.

"Thank you Naruto ...Alright your up next" said Kakashi as he looked over at Sasuke.

Sasuke's eye twitched as he cleared his throat.

"My Name is Sasuke Uchiha" he started

He thought over the rest of his answers and a month prior he knew how he would answer...however things had changed since then for him. It took him a moment to find the right words.

"I don't have many likes...though I do enjoy training and spending time with Naruto and Hinata" he admitted.

"I dislike quite a few things, but to keep it short

-10 minutes Later-

"and fangirls who chase me around without knowing anything about me" he said finally finishing leaving the three around him wide eyed.

'That's keeping it short ?' they all thought.

"I don't have any dreams...but rather ambitions... I don't know how yet, but I plan to rebuild the Uchiha Clan and beyond that I plan to kill a certain man" he said his voice taking an edge at the end.

Hinata and Naruto both looked at the both a bit taken of guard but said nothing.

"Alright moving on...that just leaves you missy" stated Kakashi with an eye smile.

Hinata blushed as everyone looked at her to speak.

"M-my name is H-hinata H-hyuuga" she said cursing herself mentally for stuttering so badly.

"Ano..I l-like flower p-pressing,dancing, and p-painting. I also like s-spending time with N-naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun" she said blushing as she looked over at her crush.

Naruto blinked as he realized he really didn't know much about Hinata's interests beforehand or her family. He felt a bit guilty for not asking, but was glad to have this chance to learn more about the Hyuuga Heiress.

"Ano...I don't r-really hate a-anything...though I don't like when p-people look down on others for things that aren't their fault or seeing people t-treated unkindly." she said softly.

"M-my dream... is to s-show my clan I'm not just a f-failure...one day I want to be r-recognized as a strong k-kunoichi of the leaf. I-I want to become a strong H-heiress for m-my Clan s-so I can h-help my p-people...and I w-want to h-help make someone I c-care about recognize me ...and I h-hope one day I can h-help that person r-reach their dream" she said timidly as she looked away bashfully as her face was stained a deep red.

Everyone looked at the timid Heiress thoughtfully save Naruto who was trying to absorb everything she'd said and had a blank expression at the moment.

'Hmmm I wonder if Hinata-chan has had problems with her family...and I wonder who this person she mentioned is' he thought as he scratched the back of his head.

Within his mindscape the Giant Kyuubi rolled both of his eyes. 'Idiot' it thought though it ultimately decided to remain silent.

Alright now that we have that we have gotten that out of the way, we need to discuss the final test before we're officially a team" he stated earning shocked expressions from the genin.

"Wait what test ? we already graduated" cried Naruto as he stood up.

Kakashi nodded before speaking again.

'Yes you may have passed the Genin test, however this final one is a live exam to see if you are truly cut out to be Ninja. Of the teams that were assigned today only a third of these teams will go on to be official teams, the rest will be dropped from the program or sent back to the academy. It may seem unfair however there will be situations on missions where complications arise and you are forced to adjust. I will leave you with this to think on. I'll will see you tomorrow at 7, don't eat breakfast tomorrow or you may throw up" he advised as he stood and pulled out a small book before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Of the three shocked Genin Naruto was the first to find his voice.

"Well this sucks!" he shouted.


	3. Chapter 3

The Genin of team Seven sat at a dango shop talking with one another about the test they could expect tomorrow.

"Oi why couldn't we have gone to Ichikaru's?" Naruto asked with a frown as he picked up a stick of dango and studied it.

"Because normal people like me and Hinata need to eat something other then Ramen occasionally" Sasuke huffed.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at Naruto's expression.

"Alright whatever...Soooooo whatya think this test will be about ?" asked Naruto between stuffing his mouth.

Sasuke grunted disgusted by the blondes manners...or lack there of. He ended up shrugging his shoulders ultimately not knowing the purpose either.

"Who knows it's not like we'll really know until we get there tomorrow" he said before folding his arms across his chest.

"Ano...I-I um have heard t-that usually g-graduated Genin are usually tested to see if t-they can work as a t-team" she said shyly as she prodded her fingers together.

Both boys stopped to look at the heiress a bit surprised by her knowledge.

She blushed under their scrutiny.

"Ano I heard that one of my clan members was failed after g-graduating, because he didn't w-work with his team. M-my clan is powerful...but t-they are u-usually unwilling to admit weakness and in their e-eyes asking for h-help can be a sign of that" she explained timidly as she looked down at her fingers.

Naruto felt his hands clench as for a change something clicked within him.

'I wonder if Hinata-chan is so unsure of herself because of her family...those bastards need an asskicking' he thought.

**_"Chill Kit you eyes are about shift ...unless you want to have a situation on your hand you need to calm down" warned the Kyuubi._**

Naruto closed his eyes and took a breath just as Sasuke began to speak.

"That actually makes sense...the academy essentially only tested us as individuals...now that were on a team it only makes sense that this test would involve testing our teamwork. We have to be prepared to work together ...and for the scenario that our Sensei may try and pit us against one another." he said as he laced his hands.

Naruto's eyes opened once more after he had collected himself.

Both he and Hinata stared at Sasuke, surprised to hear him suggesting teamwork, it was something that he would have never suggested a month prior.

"Alright I'm in...but no trying to hog all the glory when we kick our Sense ass" he said before flashing a grin.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but smirked.

"Hai I'm in a-aswell...t-together we can do it" stuttered Hinata.

Sasuke looked at the two and allowed a smile before he stood up.

"Alright well I'll see you both in the morning...oh by the way ignore what Kakashi-Sensei said and make sure to eat...if we're going to do this we need to be at our best" remarked Sasuke before he stood up and began walking away from the ramen stand with his hands tucked in his pockets.

Naruto goofy smile turned serious as he looked at Hinata.

"Hey Hinata-chan can I walk you home ?" he asked as he looked into her pale lavender eyes.

She blushed beet red but nodding shyly.

After paying the bill Naruto began walking side by side Hinata through the nearly empty streets. Finally they stopped as the reached an empty secluded park.

There was a long silence between the pair before it was finally broken by Hinata.

"Ano...N-naruto-kun is e-everything alright ?" she asked softly.

Naruto's eyes had a harder more serious edge as he looked at the petite girl beside him.

"Hinata-chan...about what happened last night...about what you saw...what I said.." he started as he looked away his gaze adverted as he was afraid to see her expression...afraid to see the fear or contempt he had grown use to seeing with other people.

He was caught of guard when he felt a soft hand on his cheek. He looked to see Hinata looking at him intently..but rather than hate he saw...compassion...kindness...and something else he didn't quite understand. A blush stained her cheeks but she stood strong as she found her voice.

"N-naruto-kun ...I-I have always admired your strength and confidence...I wished for so long that I could be more like you..there were times I nearly gave up and quit, but when I saw your smile and determination to get back up...I was able to find the strength to keep going. This demon of yours...it's not you...you are but it's jailer...whether everyone else knows it or not...your a hero and I-I trust you more than anyone else in the world." she said barely stuttering as she wrapped her arms around the boy she loved and hugged him tightly.

Naruto's heart began to race as he felt that warm feeling again. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath savoring her lavender scent.

"Hinata-chan" he whispered.

"N-naruto-kun?" she stuttered shyly.

"Thank you" he added as ran his hand through her hair as he hugged her tighter.

As he opened his eyes cerulean eyes met her violet pools that were oh so close. He felt his throat catch as he stared at her peach hued lips that looked so soft and inviting.

He felt himself drifting forward towards her, but before he could meet her lips he stopped as he heard movement in the trees nearby.

It only took a moment to realize it was but an animal, but the moment had been broken as he looked back at her with one of his rare sincere smiles.

"Thankyou Hinata...you are my most precious person" he admitted as he pulled away with a faint blush.

Hinata who couldn't take anymore finally fainted, before she could hit the ground Naruto caught her and picked her up in his arms.

"Come on let's get you home" he said before he smiled as he began walking towards the Hyuuga estate.

* * *

**_-In Naruto's Mindscape-_**

The Kyuubi remained silent as he stood up in his cage his attention remained centered around the Hyuuga Heiress.

For but a brief moment he had sworn he'd sensed a presence the likes of which he had not felt in a long time...far too long.

He huffed as the feeling passed and he settled back into his resting position, but left one of his giant eyes opened. 'I've waited for centuries to see you again...I'll wait however long it takes' he thought to himself before he shut his other eye and guttural sound of him sleeping filled the otherwise silent chamber.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the Hyuuga Estate a few minutes later with Hinata still in his arms.

The guards there exchanged a look before one of them stepping forward.

"Uzumaki you will hand Lady Hinata to me and leave immediately" he said with a sense of authority in his tone.

Naruto gritted his teeth.

He didn't appreciate the man's tone, and he had to wonder if this was the sort of treatment that Hinata was use to dealing with.

"Jeez don't overreact I brought Hinata back because she got sick and collapsed earlier" he stated as he glared at the pair.

"It figures Hinata-Sama is unfit to be a Ninja much less be in the Head family...she truly is a failure" spoke a voice behind Naruto.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he handed the unconscious Hinata to the guard in front of him, before turning to face the one who had spoke only a moment prior.

The boy before him didn't look to be much older then him, but unlike Hinata and even the guards at the gate, he radiated contempt and arrogance.

"Who the hell do you think you are to judge Hinata ?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and began to shake slightly.

"Hinata-Sama is a failure in every sense of the word...it matters little of what she can accomplish in the academy...the fact of the matter is she is soft and pampered like the rest of the Head family. She is only a liability to the clan...even her sister who is five years younger can defeat her. Fate has already decided her place ...now she has but to accept her role" he stated before he walked forward past Naruto through the gate.

Naruto turned his eyes dangerous but still blue at the moment.

"What's your name asshole? " he called after the boy.

The boy stopped in his tracks as he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Neji and you would do well to learn your place as well " he said.

Naruto clenched his fist.

"I'll prove you wrong...She'll prove you wrong just you wait." he yelled.

"You can't change fate" he murmured as he turned and without another word disappeared from sight.

Naruto growled as he turned and quickly put some distance between himself and the Hyuuga estate.

'Dont you worry Hinata we'll prove everyone wrong...and we'll start by passing tomorrow's test' he thought as he began leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

* * *

The next morning dawned early for the Newly minted Team 7 ...well most of them as they disregarded the instruction about breakfast, but Hinata and Naruto did arrive promptly at seven in the morning to find the training ground empty.

As Naruto and Hinata arrived at the same time both looked at each other blushing recalling some of last night's events.

"Ohayo Hinata-chan" he said with a smile as he ran over to his friend with a smile.

"O-Ohayo N-naruto-kun" she stuttered back blushing as the hyperactive blonde that failed to understand the concept of space as he stopped less then a foot away from her.

"We're gonna kicks this tests ass Hinata-chan so you can't be sick today" he said smiling as he put his hand on her forehead which only caused her to blush even more.

Hinata's mouth fluttered though she couldn't manage to say anything at the moment.

"Hah I know what it is! you're hot!" he exclaimed to which her eyes widened before she fell backwards into the grass in a dead faint. Her last thoughts were 'Naruto-kun thinks I'm hot ?'

_**The Kyuubi groaned. "If you could only turn your stupidity into a weapon you'd be undefeatable".**_

"Oi what does that mean Baka-Fox" he cried as he knelt over Hinata.

"Hinata! Oi Hinata wake up" he said as he shook her over and over again.

After firteen minutes of prodding her she finally came around as she blinked in confusion as she gathered her bearings.

"W-what h-happened N-naruto-kun?" she asked

Naruto crossed his arm certain of the cause. "Well I was saying before you passed out that I think I know whats wrong and why you keep getting sick " he said nodding vigorously

Hinata blushed and began fidgeting worrying that her crush had finally figured out her feelings.

"Yeh it's gotta be your jacket...it's too hot to be wearing a big jacket ...you must be overheating yourself...that's why your so hot" he explained.

**_"Maybe you can use it as a weapon...or maybe cause someone to flee from fear it may be contagious...the Uchiha Brat seems to think it is already" pondered the fox aloud._**

"Darnit Fox keep your snarky thoughts to yourself" he muttered.

HInata's head fell 'Oh Naruto-kun' she thought dejectedly almost hoping the blonde had put the real reason together.

After trying and failing miserably to get Hinata to take her clothes off (In an innocent manner) and causing her to faint multiple times he finally stopped pushing the issue for now as he sat down by the embarrassed hyuuga as they waited 'patiently' for the others to arrive.

-1 hr Later-

Naruto growled as ran his hands through his hair.

"Dammit where is he?" he cried before he jumped as he pointed a finger accusingly at Sasuke who could now be seen approaching from the edge of the training field.

"Oi where the hell have you been? your late" he yelled.

Sasuke just grunted as he put his hands in his pockets."Pipe down Dobe its still early and I'd rather not have a headache" he said.

Naruto crossed his arms as he glared at Sasuke.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he walked over and took a seat behind Hinata on the ground. "Look I overheard a few Jonin talking this morning apparently our Sensei is always late, so I wasn't in any hurry to be here."he offered.

Naruto pouted as he walked over and collapsed beside Hinata and Sasuke.

"So now what ?" he said crossing his arms.

"We stick to the plan when this starts, we don't know what the test is, but we stick together" he stated.

Hinata nodded shyly and Naruto just grinned before offering Sasuke a thumbs up.

An hour later Kakashi finally arrived with a lazy look in his eye as he had a small book out that he seemed far more concerned with than the team before him.

"You're Late again" screamed Naruto and Sasuke who's eyes began twitching in irritation as Kakashi looked away from the book only for a moment.

"Oh well you see I would have been here on time, but I got lost on the road of life" he said.

"Liar" cried Naruto as he glared at his Sensei.

'Is he really a Jonin ? he acts so...flaky' thought Sasuke.

Hinata just smiled shyly. It took a lot to upset her and honestly having an excuse to be with her crush for a bit longer before this test was far from a bad thing in her mind.

"Alright with no further delay...here are the rules.. I have two bells on me"Kakashi said as he pulled out two small silver bells he shook them a moment before placing them back on his side.

"The three of you have until noon to take them from me...whoever doesn't get a bell will be sent back to the academy. Come at me with the intent to kill or you'll never succeed" he said with little inflection in his voice.

The trio's eyes widened at this news.

Naruto was about to stand up and charge Kakashi but felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Naruto cool it...remember what I said before..this isn't about our individual skills anymore...we're being tested on something else entirely" he whispered.

Naruto relaxed before nodding.

Kakashi's raised an eyebrow before speaking again.

"Very well you may begin immediately." he said as he flipped backwards about twenty feet from the trio, but began to immediately read his book again.

The trio stood quickly looking amongst each other whispering a few words before Sasuke threw a smoke bomb.

Kakashi was left standing there in the midst of the field as the trio took a position in the treeline about 30 yards away.

"Ok Sasuke got any ideas ?" he asked.

"Yeh ...I've got an idea, but I need you to find a way to put Sensei on the defensive and push him backwards...essentially force his hand...I know your Taijutsu sucks, but get in there and keep him preoccupied. Then here's what we'll do next" he said as he began to convey his plan.

"Naruto... will you able to do this ?" he asked.

"Yeh I got something that will Keep Sensei real busy" he said before grinning mischievously.

"Hinata what about you? You have the most important job...your timing will have to be precise...there's no other way that we'll be able to catch a Jonin off guard" he said as he studied the girl intently.

Hinata felt a bit uneasy but as she looked at her crush she felt a wave of confidence flow through her. "Hai I can do it" she said without stuttering. 'I won't let you two down' she thought.

"Alright it's time to move into place...make sure to wait for your cue to strike" stated Sasuke as each of them exchanged a look before dispersing into different directions.

Kakashi stood there in the open still reading Chapter three of Icha Icha Paradise.

'Hmmm I've never tried that before...I guess you must be pretty flexible to be able to do that' he thought to himself before he heard a loud commotion coming from the treeline. He looked up for a moment noticing a horde of Naruto beginning to charge straight toward him. His one visible eye widened.

'He was last in his class, but he can make this many clones ? ...wait those aren't regular clones...those are shadow clones ...but how ?' his line of thinking came to an end as he sprung into action easily dispatching the first line with a few well placed kicks and punches with his offhand.

'Well he has quantity, but their weak and a frontal approach is a terrible idea' he thought as blow by blow he continued to cut down the incoming Naruto. What Kakashi was unaware of however, was that step by step he was being lead backwards away from the clearing and near the treeline. Just as the 'final' clone was destroyed Kakashi looked at the remaining Naruto with boredom.

"A neat trick Naruto, but this approach was flawed from the start." he stated.

"Oh well guess I'll just have to wing it now" he said grinning as he shrugged his shoulders and ran straight towards Kakashi, as he grew close he leaped forward forming several handsigns.

'More Shadowclones ?' Kakashi wondered as there was a loud puff of smoke.

However there was no horde of Narutos now, but instead a much older female version of Naruto with long blonde hair and curves that stretched for miles and above all else she was completely nude. Kakashi was taken back for a moment as his visible eye widen. He was glad he wore a mask to conceal most of his face at this moment.

"Kakashi-kun please can I have the bells ?" the female Naruto begged as she stalked forward her ample breasts bouncing as her puppy dog eyes stared directly at him.

Kakashi blinked as he still hadn't quite gained his composure and began backing up...he almost missed someone calling out something a few yards away from him.

He turned just in time to see Sasuke to the side of him about 12 yards away forming a series of handsigns.

"Grand Fireball Jutsu" he cried as a huge ball of fire hurled through the air. With Naruto in front of him and the fireball coming from the side he had but little choice to jump backwards into the trees.

No sooner did that happen then he realized his mistake as he saw a series of ignited explosive tags only feet from him. He leapt backwards again this time into a tree only to feel a palm strike pass over his head by mere inches, he leaped up into a higher branch just as as the explosives below went off shaking the surrounding trees.

'Kami...maybe I shouldn't have said with the intent to kill ' he thought as he looked down to see Hinata standing on a lower branch starring up at him.

'phew that was close she missed killing me, by only inches' he thought to himself.

"Ano...Kakashi-Sensei your within the range of my Divination." A timid voice behind Kakashi announced.

He froze turning to see too late the real Hinata moving into strike...

"Eight Triagrams...Thirty-Two Palms" she cried as she leapt forward making contact with Kakashi. Each of her strikes were aimed at his legs and arms, when she finished, he fell out of the tree before hitting the ground with a thud about 15 feet below before groaning loudly.

'He looked up at the Hinata who had hit him and the one on the lower branch...the one on the lower branch poofed and was replaced with a grinning Naruto.

"Gotcha Sensei" he said just as Sasuke walked up and picked the bells up off of Kakashi.

"We'll be taking those" he said before smirking.

Kakashi kept his expression blank as he sat up albeit with some difficulty. "Alright then which of you are going back to the Academy ?" he asked as he looked around at each of them.

Sasuke tossed the bells to Naruto and Hinata.

"None of us or all of us "Sasuke declared as he exchanged a look with both Hinata and Naruto.

"Oi Sasuke's right we're in this together...either we move forward as a team or go back to the damn academy together" he said shrugging his shoulders as he leaped now next to Sasuke before sighing at the thought of going back to the academy so soon.

"H-hai we c-couldn't have done this w-without each other. I'm staying with N-naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun" she declared before blushing slightly as she too joined her teammates.

Kakashi offered an eye smile before speaking "All right then I have no choice then, but ...to pass you all." he said.

"WOOHoo" cried Naruto as he hugged both Sasuke and Hinata.

Hinata simply blushed like a tomato while Sasuke grunted.

"Dammit Naruto cut it out" he said though without any malice in his voice.

As the three began to converse Kakashi watched them closely.

After giving them a moment to celebrate he cleared his throat before speaking.

"The three of you did well as a team however don't become complacent. Naruto you need to work on all of your abilities, your taijutsu was a mess and you only managed to succeed by relying on your stamina and deception. Sasuke you did well taking charge and helping your team succeed, but don't let that go to your head. arrogance is one of the greatest weaknesses a Ninja can have. Finally Hinata it was ultimately your execution of your taijustu that secured your teams success, however we must work on your confidence. Often enemy ninja will try to break your spirit you will have to grow a thicker skin and become more confident in your abilities." he stated.

Three genin were quiet a moment as they processed what their Sensei had said.

"But guys you did well and with that kind of teamwork I believe all three of you will improve in no time. We're now officially team 7" he declared offering an eye smile to which each of the three genin smiled.

"Alright you three, starting tomorrow morning we will pick up our first mission. I'll see you at the Hokage Tower at 9 ! Seeya" Kakashi said smiling before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

A few minutes later the trio walked back into the town.

"Yippee we rocked especially you Hinata-chan! Hey can you teach me that trigram thingie?"asked Naruto excitedly

Sasuke rolled his eyes but said nothing as he figured Hinata could elaborate.

"Ano N-naruto-kun... I can't ...it's something only my f-family can do with our Dojutsu" she said timidly.

"Well drat...hey Sasuke what about that giant fireball thing ? Can you teach me that?" he asked .

"Not a chance Naruto...I'll catch you both later for tomorrow's mission" he replied as he offered a wave before he walked off.

Naruto pouted but his demeanor shifted to glee after a moment.

"Oi Hinata-chan let's get some Ramen" he screamed as he grabbed her hand and began darting through the streets.

Only a dust cloud could be seen in their wake as nothing would stand between the knuckleheaded ninja and a bowl of his favorite ramen...


	4. Chapter 4

"Well it seems the Jonin this year have been exceptionally tough on their genin. Teams 1-6 have all been failed" Sarutobi mused as he studied the reports in front of him, before looking up at the remaining Jonin in the room.

"Ah Kurenai how did Team 8 fair?" he asked before running a hand through his beard.

"Their cohesion as a group leaves a lot to be desired, Sakura for quite some time seemed to lack any desire to work with her teammates, I was this close to failing all three of them, however they managed to come together as a team when it matters most. I passed them and intend to began working on team building excercises immediately Hokage-Sama" she said as she bowed her head towards Sarutobi.

"Hmm very well what about Team 10 Asuma?" he asked as his gaze fell to his son who stood there with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"I don't think I've ever seen a more unmotivated, chaotic bunch of slackers in my life. That being said each and everyone of them has a great amount of potential. By just a faint margin I passed them. I think with time I can make something great out of team 10." he stated.

Sarutobi simply nodded as he jotted something down on a piece of paper.

"Very well that just leaves Kakashi and Team 7 unaccounted for." he said.

Kurenai sighed before rolling her eyes. "Always late as usual." she said in a disapproving tone.

"It's not like it matters there's no way Kakashi will ever pass a team anyways. I just feel bad for those kids." Asuma chuckled.

No sooner did he finish speaking then the door opened up and in walked Kakashi reading his favorite book intently.

Sarutobi coughed. "Kakashi report in" he said sternly.

The Cyclops Ninja looked up from his book for a moment before speaking.

"Team 7 passed" he said simply and for a long moment only silence filled the room before a faint sound could be heard as Asuma's cigarette hit the floor.

He quickly knelt down and picked it up before shaking his head still slightly shocked.

"Well now I've seen everything" Asuma admitted before he shook his head and after offering a wave he walked out the door leaving only Kakashi,Kurenai, and Sarutobi left in the room.

"Hokage-Sama may I have a word regarding the Team Assignments?" Kurenai asked.

Sarutobi sighed having already anticipated this conversation. "I'm guessing this is related to Hinata's placement in Team 7 rather then team 8?" he asked quirking a brow.

"Yes I was under the impression that I would be receiving Hinata for team 8. Beyond being Hinata's guardian I also was expecting to have a full team of trackers." she a slight amount of irritation creeping into her tone.

Kakashi closed his book as he gave the other two his full attention.

Sarutobi took a deep breath. "Allow me to explain." he said pausing a moment before continuing.

"Kurenai it was discovered before the team assignments that Hinata,Naruto, and Sasuke have become close as of late, but beyond that their progress improved greatly after they began spending time together as a group. If Sakura had been put into team 7 instead there was a concern that her fawning over Sasuke and the way she treated Naruto would become an issue that would hurt the team as a whole. With Sakura on team 8 instead however she can focus on growth as a Ninja and beyond she has an affinity for genjutsu. She could make a great apprentice for you if you give her the chance. Furthermore I'm sure that Hinata is quite happy where she is now" he said before folding his hands together a small smile creasing his aged face.

Kurenai's eyes widened. She had no idea just how much underlying history there was with some of the Genin, that Hinata had actually managed to forge a bond with some of her classmates. She was concerned about Hinata as always, but the thought of her adoptive daughter being happy was the most important thing to her. "I understand thank you and Kakashi...you take care of her."she said as she held out her fingers before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Several weeks passed in the leaf village as the newly minted Genin squads took one D rank mission after another. With the only bright spots throughout this time period being basic squad training. After a month had passed Team 7 finds itself growing anxious for something beyond another tedious D-Rank mission.

"I swear If we have to chase that devil cat again, I'm going to scream...I still have scars from the last time we chased it" complained Naruto as Team 7 began to climb the steps leading into the academy.

Sasuke grunted recalling all to well their last run in with Tora. "Ugh I'm with you on that one..." he muttered before shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Ano...I t-thought Tora-chan was r-rather s-sweet" said Hinata smiling timidly as she brought up the back.

Kakashi was silent as he continued reading after a few moments though he paused to look over his shoulder at the Genin.

"I think Hinata here is the only person that cat likes...it can't even stand the Daimyo's wife...hence why it keeps running away"he said offering an eye smile.

After sharing a laugh Team 7 finally entered the Academy and arrived at the Mission Assignment desk where the Third Hokage, Iruka, and several other Ninja were seated with several stacks of books and mission briefings stacked in order from lowest to highest priority by rank.

"Ah Team 7 here for a Mission ? Let me see we have we have need of a baby sitter and it seems that someone in town needs helps help harvesting their rice fields." Stated the Third Hokage as he raised his pipe to his mouth before taking a puff..

"That's It JiJi! We've been doing nothing, but stupid Rank D missions for a month! We're ready for a super cool mission! We can handle it believe it!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke shook his head but spoke up as well.

"I've gotta agree with Naruto, we can handle a higher ranking mission." he stated confidently.

"Ano...I-I agree with N-naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun" Hinata added quietly.

Iruka's eyebrow twitched as he stood up looking intensely at the the trio.

"The three of of you are fresh Genin...this is the way things work starting ou-" he wasn't able to finish as Sarutobi spoke as he looked amused by the whole situation.

"Kakashi what do you think ? Are your Genin ready for a higher rank mission ?" he asked raising a single brow.

Kakashi still looked bored as he scratched his chin though he spoke after a moment. "Hai I believe it would be good for them to have the experience and they've already demonstrated that they can work as a team."

"Very well thenl" replied Sarutobi to which Iruka looked utterly shocked.

"Team 7 you are here by assigned a C-Rank escort and protection mission to the land of waves." he stated.

"Yippee" exclaimed Naruto as he hugged both Sasuke and Hinata. The first growled before pushing him a way while the later blushed furiously and barely managed to avoid fainting.

"So who are we protecting ? A princess or some sort of big wig Noble ?" asked Naruto as he was practically bouncing in place.

"A bridge builder actually" stated Sarutobi to which Naruto crossed his arms clearly his first awesome mission seemed much less spectacular now.

After a few moments an old bespectacled man was lead into the room. His hair was grey as was his mustache and beard,he was wearing a sleeveless v-neck shirt with an obi, pants and a pair of sandals. Around round his neck rested a simple white towel and on his head sat a pointed tan colored hat. However the most distinct aspect the group noticed was the thick stench of sake that wafted around him. His eyes seemed partially glazed as it was clear he was far from sober.

"Who are the kids ?" he slurred.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the comment.

Sarutobi cleared his throat " These are the Ninja that will be escorting you home and ensuring you remain safe while you finish building your bridge." he stated.

The man grunted as he eyed the 'kids' clearly unimpressed.

"These brats are suppose to keep me safe ? Can you not spare any more competent Ninja?" he asked.

Hinata dropped her head feeling as if she'd been slapped.

Sasuke kept his cool, but leveled a glare at the man.

Naruto on the other hand growled.

"You drunk Bastard...I'll show you who's capable" he cried as he darted forward only to be stopped as Kakashi grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit.

"Now Now Naruto no killing our client" he chastised like a parent talking to a child.

Naruto grumbled but relented though he kept a glare focused on the man.

"I assure you these Leaf Ninja are more the qualified to escort you and keep you safe from any bandits you seem to fear may cause you trouble" he said smiling though beyond his pleasant demeanor there was something else that the genin likely missed...it was veiled suspicion.

"Alright Team 7 we'll meet in an hour at the front gate. Make sure to bring only what is essential and nothing that will slow you down" Kakashi advised before he nodded at his team and disappeared within a swirl of leaves.

The Mission started off on a strange note as Kakashi arrived on time, something no one in the group had seen in their time together.

As the group sat out the strange vibe from earlier seemed to be lifted as most of the group began to talk with one another.

"I'm so excited Hinata this is the first time I've ever been out of the village...well I mean this far out and I can't wait to see more. " he exclaimed happily as he looked at his shy friend who couldn't help but giggle and smile.

"Ano I'm glad N-naruto-kun I hope you get to see a lot of the world..I mean before you b-become Hokage" she said timidly but sincerely.

Sasuke remained silent watching the pair with slight interest.

Naruto looked away a moment as he felt his throat catch and found himself caught offguard a moment.

No one had ever told him that they believed in his dream...sure there were those who had sarcastically when they had laughed and ridiculed him, but this was different. This was sweet and cute...sometimes strange, but honest Hinata. She actually believed in him when no one else usually did. He looked over at her seeing her concerned look and felt his cheeks flush as he remembered that night after the bell test in which he had almost kissed her. She was so precious to him...but to what degree he wasn't sure...he had little to no experience with people especially understanding the concept of love. He shook his head deciding to bury those thoughts at the moment as he looked back at her and smiled.

"Thank you Hinata-chan...I hope your right" he said offering her a sincere smile.

Before she could respond they heard a grunt from the bridge builder in front of him.

"I hire protection and I get a bunch of brats" he grumbled.

Naruto's eye twitched as he piped up.

"Oi say that again gramps" he cried as he lunged forward at Tazuna.

Sasuke and Hinata just sighed just shaking their head as Kakashi had to stave off the blonde from attacking the old man for a second time in one day.

* * *

"Gozu perhaps we should send the disposable sacks of flesh after the old man and his contingent of Ninja" whispered one of the Demon brothers as he studied the group from a distance with a trained eye.

"What's wrong Meizu afraid of a bunch of children and an old man ? Perhaps the cyclops older in front would pose a challenge, but not if we caught them off guard" he suggested as he was eager to attack.

"Don't be foolish brother, your making an assessment born of ignorance. Look closely if you will, one of those four ninja bear emblems of the Uchiha clan and the young girl has a Hyuuga emblem on her jacket and if I'm not mistaken the Cyclopes is none other than Kakashi Hatake ... that just leaves the blonde midget unaccounted for. Though I swear I've seen that emblem on his jacket as well. We're dealing with opponents that carry a powerful reputation...it would be best for us to rally the few rogue Ninja that Zabuza has granted us and test the waters with these four. At best we eliminate our target...and worst case scenario we are able to gain valuable insight that we can pass along to Zabuza and his tool Haku." he said.

Gozu grunted acknowledging his brothers wisdom.

"Fine Meizu...but I say you take too much stock into what you hear...these people whoever they are can be caught unaware like anyone else" he said as he and Meizu began to pull away from their vantage point.

* * *

Naruto walked with his hands behind his head occasionally glaring at the bridge builder in front of him.

'Old bastard' he thought before he groaned as they reached the top of another hill only to see another long stretch of road.

"Oi old man how much longer until we reach the Sea ?" he asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. 'he really needs to work on his tact' he thought before shaking his head.

The Bridge builder grunted but after a moment spoke.

"We have at least three more days before we reach the Sea...then we'll be on a boat for several hours before we finally reach my home." he said. Though it was subtle something seemed hesitant in his tone or more so like concern laced his words.

Kakashi said nothing but the man's hesitation was apparent to him.

"Ano...T-Tazuna-san this bridge must mean a lot to you and the W-wave if your hiring p-protection to make sure your e-escorted safely and g-guarded afterwards." she said softly.

Tazuna tensed for a moment before relaxing something which wasn't missed by Kakashi. He relaxed as he looked back for once smiling at Hinata.

"Yeh kid it means a lot for me and the Land of Waves, this Bridge will finally connect us to the mainland. The Land of Waves has seen better days and this bridge will bring hope to a lot of people" he said before falling silent.

"I-I'm glad that we c-can help then" offered Hinata with a small smile before she too fell silent.

Sasuke kept his thoughts to himself but looked over noticing Naruto seemed particularly quiet all of the sudden.

"Something wrong Naruto ?" he asked quirking a brow.

Naruto looked over at his friend with anime tears in his eyes.

"I just realized what I forgot to pack...Instant Ramen" he cried.

Sasuke facepalmed. 'Why do I even bother' he wondered to himself.

"Ano...N-naruto-kun I c-could m-make you s-some Ramen w-when we stop for the n-night" stuttered Hinata as she looked at her Crush.

Naruto began to sniffle before he reached over and hugged Hinata tightly.

"Hinata's the best! Ramen!" he cried happily realizing only moments later he was now completely supporting an unconscious Hinata.

* * *

Several hours had passed and Team 7 had made camp shortly before the sun had set on the horizon. Their campsite was about half a mile off of the road within a small clearing in the woods.

Kakashi sat with a bored expression on his face as he continued to reach his favorite book.

Tazuna sat in the midst of the camp drowning himself within another bottle of Sake.

Sasuke sat with an amused smirk on his face as he watched Naruto drooling with hearts in his eyes as he watched Hinata prepare his favorite food in the world. Hinata herself was just trying her best to not faint from the blonde's attention.

"RAMENnnn" he purred happily as he took a deep breath before grinning happily.

Several minutes later the energetic blonde had take his first bite and stopped in his tracks.

Hinata looked down fearing rejection.

"H...Hinata...this is... AMAZING" he screamed.

Sasuke covered his ears before shooting a glare at the blonde.

"R-really ?" Hinata asked as her pale violet gaze returned to the blonde.

Naruto nodded vigorously. "This is the best ramen I've ever had ! Believe it! just don't tell old man Teuchi I said that!" he said before diving back into his meal with gusto.

Hinata blushed and smiled at his praise.

Sasuke who was eating some himself nodded as he sat his bowl down before looking at the Heiress. "I don't have an addiction to this stuff like the idiot does, but I have to agree with him on this. It's very good Hinata Arigato" he said before he turned his attention back to his meal.

Hinata smiled again before murmuring a thanks to the raven haired ninja.

"Yeh Hinata is going to make such a great wife one day" exclaimed Naruto between bites.

Sasuke just shook his head as he began a countdown in his head. '3...2...1...' he thought before he looked over to see the redfaced Hinata faint.

Naruto blinked in confusion before he looked at Sasuke and back over at the slumped over Hinata.

"Was it something I said?" he asked before scratching the back of his head.

"Kami your stupid" muttered Sasuke before he raised another bundle of noodles to his lips.

* * *

It was now late at night with the only one awake being Kakashi.

Kakashi popped his neck as his head craned around the perimeter lazily.

'Hmm looks like we have company...but just how many are there...I'd say no less than three maybe as many as six.' he thought to himself.

'Probably won't be long till they attack...time to wake the team.' he decided as he flipped out of the tree he was sitting in before he whistled as long as he could. Immediately he heard stirring within each of the tents as well as movement around him as the enemy circling began to grow closer.

As Kakashi watched intently he turned on heel to see several giant shurikens emerge from the treeline all meant to devastate the campsite and those who still remained vulnerable within their tents.

"Shit" cursed Kakashi as he began forming several handsigns.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall" he yelled before slamming the ground with his hands. Immediately a large wall of earth rose up in front of the incoming Shuriken's stopping all of them dead in their tracks.

'It seems I'll have to be careful...they almost caught me off guard' he mused to himself just as several silhouettes emerged from the treeline.

There were 4 of them in total...each of the Ninja that stood before him wore concealing black uniforms that hid all but their eyes. Each of the four was of a different build, but what really drew the Copy Nin's interest was the fact that each of the Ninja had a mist headband with a scratch through it and on their uniforms each of the four bore a different Kanji one for each elements all except water.

"Rogue Ninjas" he murmured as his eyes trailed over each of them.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan...to kill you or die in the process would be an honor" stated the Ninja standing in the middle. He was a head taller than the next tallest member of the group and seemed to exert some extent of Authority. On his uniform the Kanji for lightning could be seen...

Kakashi's expression was impossible to discern as he took a unique Taijutsu stance.

"Very well then since you have no honor more honor in life perhaps you'll find some in death" he said as his one visible eye narrowed.

"Go kill the others ...kill the bridge builder" he ordered, immediately the other four darted off towards the center of the camp where everyone else was.

Before Kakashi could make to stop them, he found the leader of this assault already upon him making strike after strike. Kakashi was finding it easy to predict and block his opponents strikes even without his secret weapon, it was clear these were low chunin level opponents. Despite the gap in strength he didn't dare expose an opening, though this man lacked experience and the knowledge he possessed, his strikes were being enhanced with chakra. Kakashi could see lightning coursing off the man's hands at each failed hit. He knew that one well placed hit could potentially paralysis him leaving him open for a death strike. He would have to leave the others to fend for themselves at the moment...this would be their first real encounter with an enemy...he prayed his faith was not misplaced...

A few moments later back at the center of the campsite Naruto and Sasuke now stood side by side trying to block the enemy ninja's incoming strikes. Behind them Hinata stood in her gentle fist stance directly in front of Tazuna.

The Genin were currently having to deal with three of the ninja while Kakashi dealt with the leader.

Sasuke smirked as he kicked one the Ninja square in the chest sending him flying backwards.

"These guys are a joke" he commented only to stop dead in his tracks as a Kunai stopped but inches from his face. He looked down to see Naruto gripping the man's wrist as hard as he could.

"Dammit Teme stop bragging until we're done kicking their ass" he said between gritted teeth before the man took his other hand and backhanded Naruto sending him tumbling.

Sasuke quickly reacted as he dropped down and swept the guys legs out from under him. As the guy was falling he dropped his weapon ...Sasuke felt his heart race as he followed through with what needed to be done...he caught the falling Kunai and as the man landed on his back, Sasuke brought down his arm in a swift powerful motion as he plunged the kunai into the Rogue Ninja's chest, killing him instantly. He felt immediately disgusted as he felt his hands covered in the man's blood. As Naruto made his way back to his feet he began looking around for the second Ninja they'd been fighting. His eyes widened as he turned at the same time as Sasuke to see the Ninja had used this opportunity to come up behind Tazuna and Hinata.

Hinata was caught off guard until the last moment as the incoming ninja was in her blindspot of her Byakguan, but she reacted as fast as she could when she finally sensed his presence. She turned on heel and immediately pushed Tazuna away from her just as the Ninja brought down his Kunai...The weapon pierced deep going right through her jacket and through her soft porcelain skin. The only thing that was heard next was an ear piercing scream...

Hinata stiffled a cry as the kunai tore through her previously flawless skin and went deep into her left shoulder.

The ear piercing scream heard however didn't come from her...it came from Naruto as he dug his fingernails into his own palm breaking the skin. His teeth gritted together as his entire frame shook.

Hinata using what strength she could muster struck the ninja in front of her in the stomach with her good arm with a palmstrike, forcing him backwards several feet.

Naruto disappeared in a red blur before reappearing in front of the Ninja some 30 feet away.

The man couldn't retaliate in time before he found himself caught by the much shorter boy. Naruto eyes were far from the calm cerulean blue normally seen. Now they were dangerous and crimson red with a predatorial slit in the middle. He gripped the mans throat with a single hand...his fingernails that were now claws dug into the mans neck drawing blood.

He spoke in a guttural deep voice that was laced with a powerful killing intent.

"For what you've done I can't forgive you" he growled before he clenched his hand and a loud snap could be heard as the Rogue Ninja's neck was broken with relative ease.

Naruto stumbled back as he dropped the guy's body and immediately collapsed. As the light faded from his eyes there was only one thing on his mind.

'Hinata'

Kakashi growled as he pulled his hand out of the man's chest. His opponent had proven no match, but had still wasted precious time and had distanced him from the others. He quickly began darting back towards camp hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.

When Kakashi arrived he found the other three rogue Ninja laying dead on the ground.

Naruto was collapsed on the ground though there was no obvious injuries on him.

As Kakashi grew closer he could see Sasuke kneeling beside Hinata with Tazuna sitting nearby with a shocked expression on his face. As he moved closer they could see a Kunai buried deep within the young girl's left shoulder and blood staining her entire jacket from the deep wound.

Sasuke clenched his fist as he observed the wound.

"Dammit it's in there deep...Hinata I need you to look at me" he said with a sense of urgency in his voice.

She blinked back tears as her pale lavender eyes looked up at the raven haired ninja.

"This is gonna hurt..but we have to get that out immediately" he said.

She hiccuped as tears fell down her cheeks.

"H-hai" she said weakly

Kakashi dropped down to check on Naruto a moment after seeing that he was only passed out, he continued his way over to Sasuke and Hinata.

"Sasuke when you remove that it's going to start bleeding rapidly...Hinata I need you to stay awake until we can stop the bleeding alright?" he asked as he knelt down beside his students.

"H-hai S-sensei...is N-naruto-kun alright ?" she asked weakly.

If the situation wasn't so serious Kakashi would have laughed. It was just like Hinata to be worrying about the knucklehead when she was one in danger.

"He's just fine Hinata...it looks like he just overexerted himself" he lied realizing from a quick observation knowing what had likely happened.

"I'm s-sorry for b-being so useless " she whispered to which Sasuke seemed instantly upset over.

"Hey none of that...if was my fault for not taking these guys seriously. If anything I'm to blame for you getting hurt" he admitted.

Tazuna who had been sitting quiet looked like a wreck as guilt was clear on his face.

"Now let's get that Kunai out" Sasuke added after a moment as he took a deep breath before gripping the hilt tightly.

Hinata took a breath as well as she focused her attention on Sasuke and Kakashi as Sasuke with one powerful yank pulled the Kunai out.

Hinata winced as Kakashi instantly began applying pressure with a towel.

Sparing a glance over at Tazuna for just a moment Kakashi had a very serious glint in his eye.

"You and I are going to have a nice long chat when I'm done here" he said in a serious tone.

Tazuna only nodded his head numbly in response.

What none one saw was the two Demon brothers that slipped away into the night, to deliver their findings to Zabuza...

* * *

A few minutes passed before Naruto's eyes flew open and he sat up before he bounded over to where Kakashi,Sasuke,and Hinata were.

"Hinata-chan are you ok ? " he asked worry reflected clearly in his cerulean gaze.

"H-hai...I-I'll be fine" she said weakly offering her crush a smile.

Sasuke and Kakashi were still applying pressure to her shoulder when Kakashi spoke.

"She'll be fine Naruto, but I doubt she'll be able to fight at full capacity for a while" he said before he pulled the towel off of her arm and began wiping the dried blood away.

Naruto clenched his fist, much like Sasuke he was taking her injury upon himself.

Kakashi stopped when he looked in surprise at her shoulder.

"What...is this?" he wondered aloud as he looked at her entire arm in wonder.

"That's impossible" whispered Sasuke as he looked at her shoulder noticing something bizarre or rather nothing at all. The skin on her entire left arm and shoulder was flawless, without as much as a single scratch or scar. For all the blood that they had cleaned off of her there was no sign as to any wound in the first place.

Naruto's eyes widened as he fell silent. He'd seen this before...There was something that few...well no one knew save the fox. Naruto the happy go lucky goofball had a much more serious and clever side. At one point at the lowest moment in his life, he had nearly been killed by mobs on his birthday on several occasions. The first time it had happened and no one had been there to protect him, it was the fox who had saved him...that was the day he and fox had first met. He remembered laying beaten and broken in an alleyway. He just knew he was going to die...then he had met his demon and when he had returned to reality his wounds were gone. His throat caught as the insane possibility crossed his mind...but his thoughts were interrupted by Hinata.

"Ano...one of the ...Elders of my Clan once told me I inherited a rare bloodline limit. I-I h-have always h-healed like this" she said softly.

Naruto took a deep breath pleased that his crazy thought had been just that.

Sasuke just smirked. "Well that's good for our team...since you and I will end up taking a lot of hits keeping this idiot alive" he said gesturing towards Naruto though he smiled.

Naruto's eye twitched at that comment. "Oi that's not funny teme" he said crossing his arms.

"Well I didn't laugh about it now did I ?" challenged Sasuke.

Hinata just watched the boys go back and forth with a tired smile on her face.

Kakashi studied her another moment before shaking his head.

"Alright enough you two...we have something to discuss" he stated as his eyes focused on Tazuna.

"Primarily why you deceived us" stated Kakashi.

The genin turned their attention to Tazuna as they waited for the old man to explain.

"I didn't mean for this to happen...The Land Waves just doesn't have enough to afford a higher grade mission." he said bowing his head as he hunched his shoulders.

"I'm sorry" he added after a moment.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"You endangered my entire team because your too cheap ?" he asked his tone taking a deadly edge.

Tazuna shook his head as he looked down ashamed.

"I'm sorry...If the money was available we would have gladly paid the difference, but it's not...I'm sorry for putting your team in danger, but my entire country is being suffocated by a man by the name of Gato. He and his thugs are destroying the wave economically and anyone who stands against them ends up dead shortly there after...but his power would be broken if this bridge could be finished. He tried to buy me off and then he tried to threaten my life...I won't back down, but I can't do this without help" he said clenching his fist at his side as he bowed his head low to the ninja before him.

Kakashi shook his head.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the problem...if this mission was assigned properly we would have had at the very least two entire teams with at least a couple of Jonin. I can't let my team be put in any further danger" he said.

"Ano...Sensei...but what about all those people...they need us." Hinata said softly.

Kakashi closed his visible eye. "Hinata regardless of the fact your fine now...you could have been killed...do you all really think your prepared for this ?" he asked opened his eye and studied everyone.

Naruto spoke first "Sensei I'm not about to back down! Sure it might be dangerous, but Hinata-chan's right! There's plenty of people counting on us, we can't turn our backs on them! I'm in all the way" he declared.

"H-Hai I'm with N-naruto-kun !" added Hinata as a looked of determination could be seen in her eyes.

"As am I" added Sasuke before he nodded at Naruto and Hinata.

Kakashi sighed as he realized this was a dangerous course, however he realized what his Sensei would have done in this situation. "Very well against my better judgement we can proceed forward...but if it becomes too difficult we will pull out period." he said sternly.

"Thankyou all so very much" said Tazuna as he again bowed his head low as a sign of respect to all of the Ninja.

Kakashi sighed again hoping he wouldn't regret this decision.

"I know it's late, but I want everything packed up and ready to go within the hour, I don't think it safe or wise to rest here tonight" he stated.

'I guess this means I won't have much time for reading along the road...and I really wanted to read chapter four again.' he thought, before frowning.


	5. Chapter 5

With the events of the previous night still weighing upon them Hinata,Kakashi,Naruto,Sasuke and Tazuna find themselves walking along the road just as the sun begins to peak over the horizon.

Hinata by this point was stumbling she was exhausted and her injury while healed completely seemed to have taxed her nonetheless. As she stumbled again, she fell forward but was caught by Naruto.

"Heya Hinata-chan...don't worry just rest a while I'll carry you...just wrap your arms around my neck okay ?" he said as knelt down waiting for her to comply.

Hinata blushed but was too tired to argue much less let her normal shyness around the blonde keep her from accepting.

"T-thankyou N-naruto-kun" she whispered as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck before he stood up and began walking to catch up with the group who were now about 20 feet down the road.

"Yosh we're good to go" he exclaimed with a smile before raising a thumbs up at the rest of the group.

Kakashi just eye smiled while Tazuna and Sasuke wondered the same thing.

Naruto despite his outward demeanor had something that was still bothering him.

'It just doesn't make sense...that healing that wasn't just a Kekkei Genkai was it?..'

**The fox huffed. 'Maybe she lied...'**

'But Hinata wouldn't lie about something like that would she ?...'

**'Maybe she doesn't know...'**

'Are you trying to tell me something fox?'

**'I'm not saying a word...it's not my place...'**

'Wait!...dammit Fox!"

* * *

"I outta kill both of you for your cowardice" growled Zabuza as he gripped his hilt of his sword while leveling a glare filled with a massive amount of killing intent towards the two Demon brothers.

Gozu seemed shaken while Meizu seemed fairly unphased, but still reserved as he spoke.

"Sir with respect despite losing those four worms, we were able to gather quite a lot about the Leaf Ninja protecting the bridge builder. Information that could prove useful in fighting them." he offered.

Zabuza cast a look between the pair before standing up.

"Save it...I'll deal with this myself...Haku your with me" he said as he headed for the door.

A soft voice could be heard from the far side of the room. "As you wish Zabuza-Sama"

* * *

Nearly two days had passed since Team 7 had been attacked at camp. Since then the group had covered a great deal of ground. At the rate they were going they would reach the Sea in less then a day. While the atmosphere had grown a bit more casual the entire group was still on high alert as the morning that greeted them was far from ideal. The visibility due to the mist only allowed for ten to fifteen feet at most. This being the case, the group had been relying greatly on Hinata's Byakugan.

Though Kakashi had not said it aloud he was growing slightly anxious he would feel much better once they had reached the sea and more so the Land of Waves

"Oi isn't Hinata awesome Sasuke ? Her Beeyakugon kicks ass ! I wish I had something cool like that" exclaimed Naruto.

Hinata blushed and fiddled with her fingers slightly but kept her gaze alert.

"Naruto...it's pronounced Byakugan and it's just as well you don't have something like that...knowing you you'd probably do nothing but brag about it" mumbled Sasuke as he wondered to himself when he would finally be able to finally use his own Sharingan.

Tazuna just shook his head, he had grown use to these arguments, but he no longer underestimated these kids, he'd seen first hand what they were capable of.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Hinata what do you see ?" he asked as he kept a wary gaze as well as he had refrained from reading his favorite little book in days.

"Ano S-sensei theres something about this Mist...my vision isn't blocked...but almost clouded...I've never e-experienced this before with my Byakugan" she said nervously as she bit her lower lip.

Kakashi remained calm but nodded, "Can you make out anything ?" he asked

"Wait...I see something" she exclaimed.

Everyone tensed immediately preparing for a sudden attack.

"It's a rabbit" she whispered as a small smile spread across her face.

Everyone sweat dropped as she spoke.

Seconds later as everyone had relaxed, the little rabbit Hinata had just seen sprang forward into everyone's line of sight.

No one else paid it much mind, but Kakashi tensed immediately seeing the snow white rabbit.

'This is the wrong season...it shouldn't be here' he thought.

All other thought was ceased as Hinata eyes widened as she cried. "Incoming"

"Get down " yelled Kakashi.

Everyone hit the dirt only split seconds before a giant full-bladed sword crashed into a tree right behind the group.

As the group quickly made their way to their feet they noticed a tall muscular man standing on the hilt of the sword. He wore Kirigakure headband and a mask covered the lower half of his face. His eyes possessed a wild look to them as he stared at the group.

"So this must be the famed Leaf Ninja that killed my men...a bunch of children...and you must be Kakashi of the Sharingan" stated Zabuza as he crossed his arms as he left off but a fraction of killing intent.

Everyone besides Kakashi flinched and recoiled back.

Kakashi gritted his teeth recognizing the man before him.

"Zabuza Momochi...better known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist" stated Kakashi.

"Well now that we've gotten introductions out of the way how bout we cut to the chase ?" he said as he flipped backwards and removed his sword from tree before vanishing into the mist in a blur.

"Everyone protect the bridge builder...leave Zabuza to me" he said as he reached for his forehead protector. As he pulled it up everyone could see a scar over his left eye, as that eye opened a red eye could be seen with three black tomoes circling the pupil.

"The Sharingan" whispered Sasuke in disbelief.

'But how is this possible ? Kakashi is not of the Uchiha Clan...so how is it he possesses the Sharingan' he wondered as he stepped back and pulled out a Kunai at the same time as Naruto.

Hinata assumed a gentle-fist stance as she stood directly in front of the bridge builder.

Kakashi began studying the surrounding mist as it seemed to be growing thicker.

"Sensei incoming on your left side" yelled Hinata as loud as she could muster.

Kakashi turned just in time to redirect a strike from Zabuza's sword with a single kunai.

'Hmm that damn brat is going to prove annoying' he thought as he preformed a series of quick powerful strikes to which Kakashi was able to dodge with the use of his Sharingan.

As Kakashi darted forward he plunged his Kunai straight through Zabuza though the Zabuza in front of him dissipated into water.

'A water clone ? ' he thought before he whirled around to see Zabuza coming for his team and the bridge builder some 35 feet away.

Zabuza lunged forward from the side in an attempt to slip past Naruto and Sasuke and kill Hinata. However what he didn't expect was for the girl to be able to react in time to counterattack. As he swept his sword in attempt to cleave her in half she pushed Tazuna out of the way before she bent low using her natural flexibility to duck beneath his brutal strike. Naruto and Sasuke instantly turned on heel to face Zabuza, but before the Demon of the Mist could follow up with an attack on the Kunoichi a blur came out nowhere as Kakashi foot collided with Zabuza chest sending him sprawling back several feet.

"Naruto...Sasuke close up formation...keep Hinata and the bridge builder safe...their his primary targets at the moment."he yelled.

Naruto and Sasuke quickly complied moving in till they were on either side of Hinata and the Bridge builder.

"Quite a display Kakashi...but these brats don't really know what it means to be a Ninja...they are no more than children playing ninja...once I get past you...killing them will be easy" he stated as he flipped backwards about 50 feet onto the surface of the nearby lake.

Kakashi didn't bother to respond as he darted forward leaping onto the surface of the water.

The Genin and the bridge builder could only watch in wonder as Zabuza began forming a series of handsigns only to see Kakashi mirroring his every sign perfectly.

Both of the men called out the same technique in sync with one another. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu "

Two giant Water Dragons took shape and with a earth shattering roar darted forward towards one another. The resulting impact shook the nearby forest as water sprayed all over the place.

As some of the mist cleared Kakashi and Zabuza could be seen still standing across from one another.

Over the course of the next fifteenb minutes every Jutsu Zabuza would utilize Kakashi would copy and negate without fail...the longer this went on the more and more agitated the rogue Kiri Ninja became.

"Dammit sto-" Zabuza started before he was cut off.

Copying you?" Kakashi asked his expression serious.

"Damn you and that eye" he said as his killer intent rose as he glared at Kakashi.

'What else can he see?' Zabuza wondered as he gripped his sword.

"I can see your death Zabuza" Kakashi said as the tomoes in his sharingan eye spun around the pupil momentarily.

Zabuza gripped the hilt of his sword harder as Kakashi mind games were slowly starting to work.

"Your Sharingan may see many things...but you left an opening to exploit" stated Zabuza.

Kakashi for a split second turned his attention back the shore fearing for his team's safety before he heard laughter directly behind him.

"And I capitalized on that opening" whispered the voice before Kakashi heard him call out. "Water Style: Water Prison Technique"

Instantly Kakashi was caught within a virtually indestructible sphere of water with a water clone standing there with his hand on the sphere to maintain it. 'Dammit' thought Kakashi before he turned his attention back to his team on the shore.

"Hinata,Naruto,Sasuke... Run take the bridge builder and get out of here " he yelled

Naruto clenched his fist as he looked between Sasuke,Hinata, and the bridge builder.

"There's no way in hell we can do that Sensei...Disobeying orders may make us trash as far as the Ninja world is concerned...but those who abandon their comrades are lower than that" he yelled.

"Dammit Naruto listen to me, Zabuza is in a completely different league then the three of you" Kakashi yelled as he slammed his hands up against the sphere.

Naruto gritted his teeth as Zabuza slowly began stalking forward as he neared the edge of the shore.

"Sensei...I'm with the idiot on this one...we might be outmatched, but better we stay and die trying then for us to get picked off running away through the mist, we can't outrun him."Sasuke stated.

"I-I'm staying w-with N-naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun no matter what happens...you all are more like my family then my own family is to me" she said softly the she trembled a moment before she steadied herself.

Kakashi gritted his teeth cursing himself for falling prey to Zabuza and his blasted trap.

"I don't care who this asshole is, we're gonna kick his ass, finish this mission, and none of us are going to die" declared Naruto as he created a series of handsigns.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu" he cried summoning thirty clones into existence.

'Shadow Clones? From a kid no less... interesting' thought Zabuza as he stopped about 30 feet from the small group.

"Alright brat let's see what you can do"said Zabuza.

"You heard him guys let's get em" cried the multitude of Narutos as they all charged towards Zabuza.

Zabuza made a quick flourish easily dispelling most of the shadow clones.

'So he can make plenty of clones...but their all weak' thought Zabuza before he kicked the final Naruto sending him skidding backwards.

As Naruto was rolling backwards and idea struck him. He opened his backpack before pulling out a large fourbladed shuriken.

"Oi Sasuke catch" he yelled as he threw the folded up shuriken to the raven haired Ninja.

Sasuke smirked as he caught it instantly realizing the blondes plan.

'Not too bad Naruto' he thought as he studied the approaching Zabuza closely.

Sasuke reared back the shuriken as he unfolded it.

"Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows " he yelled before he threw the large weapon towards the approaching Zabuza.

Zabuza batted it away with ease smirking however his smirk disappeared as his eyes widened as he saw a second approaching Shuriken.

'A second Shurkien...following the shadow from the first' he thought as he ducked just moments before it hit him.

"Nice try kid...you almost caught me off guard there" he commented.

Sasuke smirked. "Who said I was trying to hit you ?" he asked.

Zabuza's eyes widened to see the still airborne Shuriken flying headlong towards his clone.

Rather than releasing his hold on the water prison, however the clone leapt over the flying shuriken.

"Hmmm pretty crafty for a brat...but not good enough" he said.

"That's the second and last time you'll underestimate us believe it" yelled Naruto.

Zabuza watched in wonder as the flying shuriken poofed in midair and was replaced by another clone of Naruto. Not wasting any time the clone in midair threw a kunai right for Zabuza's clone's hand. Zabuza's clone pulled away for just a split second, but it was enough as the Water Prison jutsu was dispelled and Kakashi lunged forward and with well placed cross chop dispelled the clone.

Zabuza actually laughed. "So maybe you kids aren't so soft after all, but your still ultimately just tools of your own village...ones that I can break with ease." he yelled before he disappeared into the mist.

As the clone next to Kakashi dispelled, Kakashi immediately began darting back towards his team. He realized that he only had a limited amount of time to close the distance or Zabuza would go all out, overpower the genin and kill them and the bridge builder with ease.

"Time to die" the genin could hear from all around them as the largest amount of killing intent they had ever felt was focused on them.

Time seemed to slow down as the next few moments played out in slow motion.

Kakashi leaped in front of his team just as Zabuza emerged for the Mist. Blood splattered everywhere as Zabuza buried his sword into Kakashi's side, the attack would have cut Kakashi in two, but the Jonin had caught the flat of the blade at the last moment reducing the impact. As Zabuza tried to pull away Kakashi held strong, both heard a small voice they didn't expect cry out behind them.

"Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms" The tiny Hyuuga girl lunged forward having a perfect opening before she began a graceful dance as her fingers began to blur as she struck the Demon of the Mist with a multitude of powerful Juken strikes.

When she finished he was thrown backwards as his body convulsed in pain.

Kakashi looked wide eyed before he offered her a weak eye smile before wincing.

"A-ano S-sensei are you ok?" she asked in a concerned timid voice.

Naruto and Sasuke both traded a glance not only amazed...but surprised by their teammates skill. They had faith in her no doubt, but neither of them had been able to see the attack coming much less counterattack.

'Wow Hinata is amazing' thought Naruto.

'I wonder how powerful she would be, if she had more confidence' Sasuke mused to himself.

Kakashi groaned as he looked at Zabuza who was slowly getting to his feet.

"Heh I've been worse off..we need to finish this while he's unable to mold chakra" he stated.

However before he could say anything further the group watched in shock as several senbon whizzed through the air before hitting Zabuza in the back of the neck seemingly killing him.

A moment passed before movement could be heard as a figure landed a few feet back from the now 'dead' Zabuza.

The figure was clearly a ninja who bore an outfit consisting of a moss green, striped turtle-neck sweater and a split skirt in matching colour that reached all the way down to their knees. On the outside of that, he wore a green blue short kimono with white edges, and around their waist a green brown obi could be seen, in the same style as the sweater, with a unique fringed trail. The Ninja had long hair that was gathered in a white bun holder tied with a green blue, while two locks of their hair fell loose that would normally frame the face, However a white hunter-nin mask could be seen resting on top of his forehead protector obscured the Ninja's face. The white mask was thin, with curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, the symbol for Kiragakure could be soon on the forehead.

"I must thank you I've been tracking this criminal for quite sometime, you provided me with a perfect kill shot" stated the Ninja in a soft if not somewhat muffled voice.

Kakashi dropped to one knee as his vision began to fade.

'Dammit I used the sharingan too much...this wound on my side doesn't help much either' he thought before he winced again in pain.

'Theres...something wrong about this Hunter Ninja...but I can't put my finger on it...mind is too addled' he thought.

"Who are you exactly ?" asked Sasuke as he stared suspiciously at the Ninja before them.

"That is hardly your business...just know that I am a Hunter Nin and this was my target...I will be taking his body as verification...I'd suggest you worry less about me and more about your comrade, he looks he needs you assistance now" The Hunter Ninja replied before moving forward collecting Zabuza and his sword before vanishing moments later.

Kakashi groaned as he felt himself collapse, he soon realized the world around him was growing darker.

All he could make out was the yells from his genin, before he felt himself slip into darkness...

* * *

Naruto groaned as he and Sasuke supported a still unconscious Kakashi as they continued moving forward towards the sea.

"Oi Sensei...you weigh a ton" Naruto whined.

"Normally Naruto I would tell you to shut up...but this time I have to agree with you" grunted Sasuke.

Naruto began to chuckle as he looked over at Sasuke. "Oi you know...you've changed a lot since the academy.." he said before smiling at his friend.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't read so much into it your just more bearable to be around then you use to be. I also realize how useless parts of the academy were." he offered before shrugging.

"What do you mean ?" he asked confused.

Sasuke sighed. "Despite how much of a blockhead you can be at times, those grades in the academy hardly prove anything in the real world, we wouldn't have been able to fend of Zabuza much less catch him off guard if you really were a Dobe. So I'm no longer going to call you a Dobe, congrats from now on when you do something stupid...I'm just going to call you an idiot...I guess you could consider it an upgrade" mused Sasuke as he smirked at the blonde.

"Oi Teme don't make me kick your ass" he said.

Hinata just giggled as she watched the boys, to be honest while at times it worried her she loved their brotherly quarrels at times. It made their team really feel like a family,something she rarely felt she had with the exception of Hanabi.

Tazuna who had been quiet for some time looked over at Hinata and smiled before he leaned down.

"If It wasn't obvious from their appearance that their not related I would never know" he chuckled.

* * *

Several hours had passed since their encounter with Zabuza and since then they had managed to patch up Kakashi enough to continue traveling,albeit slow to keep from opening their injured Sensei's wounds.

They were now trying to cover as much ground as possible it would only be a few short hours now till they reached the sea.

As they continued walking, Hinata bit her lip as she played the events of the last few days back through her mind. Despite what she told herself, she couldn't help, but feel as if we she was missing something. Earlier when she had stopped Zabuza...for some reason...he seemed to slow down as if time had almost stood still. She unlike Neji had yet to perfect hitting Tenketsu with perfect precision...and yet she had done so earlier with ease and then there had been those strange dreams. She could remember that they were vivid while she was asleep, but when she awoke she couldn't remember anything.

"Oi earth to Hinata-chan" called Naruto pulling Hinata from her thoughts.

"H-hai N-naruto-kun ?" she asked as she shook her head.

"I was asking if you could make some more of your Hina Ramen tonight when we stop ?" he asked his eyes sparkling as he looked back at her.

"H-hina R-ramen ?" she asked blushing.

"Hai thought it had a cool sound to it." he exclaimed grinning at her.

Hinata blushed again but managed a nod.

"H-hai once we get s-settled in and c-change Kakashi-Sensei b-bandages, I'll m-make us some" she said softly as she looked away from her crush.

"Woohoo ! I love Hina Ramen" he exclaimed.

Hinata sweat dropped. 'If I could just get him to say that to me now rather just about my ramen' she thought before sighing softly to herself.

* * *

A couple hours later as the sun was setting the team found themselves aboard a small ship heading towards the Land of Waves. According to Tazuna they would arrive early the next morning. With Kakashi still unconscious he was placed within one of the cabins of the small boat before she made her voyage out of the harbor and out into open sea.

Naruto knelt over Kakashi with a worried look. "Oi do you think Kakashi-Sensei is going to be ok?" he asked.

"Ano I think he's just e-exhausted...at least I hope so" Hinata said quietly as she fidgeted in place.

"Using the Sharingan is very taxing...Sensei should be alright." Sasuke stated. 'What I want to know is why Kakashi has a Sharingan in the first place.' he wondered as he folded his hands together and stared at his unconscious mentor who had become quite the enigma.

"Sharingan? Is that what that weird eye was?" Naruto questioned.

Hinata shook her head. 'Oh Naruto' she thought.

Sasuke sighed. "Yes Naruto it was...it's much like the Hyuuga's byakugan. Both of which are Kekkei Genkai."he said.

"And what is a Kekkei Genkai?" Naruto asked as he began to scratch his head in confusion.

"You really should have paid attention in class sooner...it's a gift that is unique to certain clans and their bloodlines, like the Uchiha and Hyuuga." Sasuke explained.

"Jeez I wish I was from an awesome clan." he said pouting slightly.

"It's not always as great as you might think" Sasuke said quietly to which Hinata offered a small nod of her head.

"In any case we can talk tomorrow none of us are at one hundred percent, we're all tired. We need all our strength in case we haven't seen the last of those rogue ninjas" Sasuke said as he stood up.

"I'll see you both in the morning" he said as made his way out of the cabin leaving Naruto and Hinata alone with their unconscious Sensei.

* * *

Aboard the small ship that was sailing towards the Wave nothing could be heard except the occasional crashing of water against the side of the boat.

It was now late and everyone aboard the vessel had now found sleep, however for one person in particular their dreams were far from peaceful...

Her blue black hair now flowed down to the center of her back, her skin practically glowed in the moonlight. Her body was the essence of perfection, every man's desire...enough to spark jealously in the most beautiful of women. Her eyes no longer were just a pale lavender...they were now a striking violet tint and more refined rather than round...sharper... more exotic. Her nose was perfect ...adorable even as it framed her cherubic normally angelic face. Her lips were full and luscious they almost begged to be kissed. However her beautiful features were contrasted and yet enhanced with something darker... hanging barely visible from her lips were a set of sharp canines, her fingernails were now razor sharp claws. Her eyes while enchanting seemed somehow hollow, Her cloak fluttered in the wind as a purplish malevolent Aura swept around her entire frame...almost creating a cloak of chakra around her entire body. She held out her hand and with ease lifted a figure up off of the ground by their throat. She squeezed lightly so that her claws barely pierced the skin of her prey. Her eyes showed a blank expression as her hand constricted, the young man she held cried not for himself...but for her. The last thing the young woman saw was the cerulean blue eyes of the blonde haired man grow dull, the last words she could make out from him were ...Forgive me.

Hinata jolted out of bed with tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked around the cabin of the boat they were on and realized it was still night and everyone else was asleep. For several long moments she took deep breaths to steady herself, she felt like she was about to began hyperventilating. A few more breaths came and went before she stood up quietly and made her way quickly out of the cabin before heading to the starboard side of the boat. She could feel herself shaking as she cried silent tears as the memory of the dream played played over and over again in her head. She gripped the railing tightly as she cried. After a few more minutes she finally released her grip on the railing only to stare horrified noticing the section she had been clenching was now crushed.

'What kind of monster am I ? Is this what my clan sees when some of them stare at me' she wondered before she shivered at the cool night air.

What she didn't expect was to feel a hand touch her shoulder, she spun around almost prepared to attack and froze as she saw her crush. She looked away the memory of his dying face still vivid in her dream. She wiped her face quickly before she tried to mask her emotions from him.

"A-ano is something wrong N-naruto?" she said before offering a fake smile though it didn't reach her eyes and she still refused to look into his gaze.

Naruto reached out with his hand raising her chin so that she was forced to look him in the eye.

"Hinata-chan...please don't try to hide what you're feeling...I can tell you've been crying. I know your smile is fake...because your real one always makes me feel warm" he admitted as he stared deep into her lavender eyes .

"I-I...h-had this h-horrible n-nightmare and it s-seemed so r-real" she sobbed before she leaned forward and buried her head into his chest, before wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Naruto curled his arms around her, before rubbing her back for slowly with his hands.

"I know how you feel Hinata...I have trouble sleeping some nights too, but hey I'll tell you what tonight you won't have to worry about those bad dreams again...I'll be right here" he assured her as he smiled.

Hinata pulled back blushing slightly and on impulse leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"I-I trust you N-naruto-kun...I d-don't know what I w-would do w-without you sometimes"

Naruto blushed deeply, but felt his heart racing as he touched his cheek.

"I could say the same thing...believe it" he said softly as he gazed at her a moment.

She smiled shyly before shivering again.

"Here Hinata...can't have you getting sick" he said as he took off his jacket.

Hinata laughed her voice sounding like a bell as she looked at her crush.

"I-I can't remember ever being sick.." she admitted with a small smile.

"Strange...same here" he responded with a grin as he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

"Maybe we can't get sick...but you're definitely cold...and I promised I'd be here for you tonight" he said softly.

She again blushed ."A-ano how a-are you g-going to do t-that ?" she asked in a stutter.

"Easy come sit here with me" he said as he went and took a seat leaning against the central mast.

She blushed heavily, but complied as she took a seat beside him. She squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her and placed her in his lap before wrapping his arms around her.

Hinata barely won her battle with her nerves as she relaxed and leaned her head against his chest.

"N-naruto-kun...do y-you want to h-hear something f-funny?" she asked softly as the waves crashed against the boat.

"What's that Hina-chan?"he asked after a moment.

"T-tonight s-started off being one of the worst m-moments in my life and e-ended with one of the best m-moments of my life"she said softly before yawning against his chest.

Naruto blushed again himself as took a moment to compose himself.

"I think I know what you mean Hinata-chan...tell me though was it worth the bad moment...for this moment?" he asked softly.

"Believe it" she exclaimed without a stutter before she began giggling.

Naruto closed his eyes as hugged her tight.

'I wonder this feeling could it be..' he paused his train of thought as he spoke again.

"Hey Hinata?" he asked hesitantly.

"mmm?" she mumbled drowsily.

"Never mind...it can wait" he whispered before allowing a smile to spread across his face.

A few minutes later when he realized she was asleep he kissed the back of her head tenderly.

"Goodnight Hinata" he said softly before he too closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful slumber...

* * *

"Do they always get this cozy on missions?" Tazuna asked as he stared at the couple who were still snuggled up against the Mast. Hinata still wearing Naruto's jacket had her head leaned against Naruto's chest, while the blonde himself still held her tightly like a giant teddy bear.

Sasuke smirked before shrugging. "This is news to me , but let's give the lovebirds some space...plus I can always use this as leverage later...it's a shame I don't have a camera" he laughed as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Are we almost to the Land of Waves?" Sasuke asked.

Tazuna nodded. "Yes I'd say we'll be there within another half hour" he replied.

"Alright well can you wake up those two ? I"m going to go get my Sensei" Sasuke said as he stuck his hands into his pockets and strode towards the Cabin.

* * *

Half a day later the group found themselves sitting in Tazuna's living room. They had seen first hand the toll Gato's operations had taken on the Land of Waves. The poverty was widespread as was the corruption displayed by the numerous hired thugs that preyed upon the citizens.

"Are you absolutely sure Sensei? He looked pretty dead to me" Naruto said as he looked at his Sensei doubtfully.

"Hai I know that the three of you probably don't know much about Hunter Nin, but everything about that Hunter Ninja felt off. For one why would a hunter ninja sent to kill a target use senbon as a weapon of choice ? I mean certainly they can be useful, but of all the tools in a ninja's arsenal they don't offer much lethality" he stated.

"So what does that mean?" Naruto asked.

"It probably means that that hunter Nin was a fake and was actually a comrade of Zabuza's." Sasuke surmised to which Kakashi offered a nod.

"Yes I'm guessing that when the tables began to turn and looked as if we were going to win his hidden comrade sprang into action." Kakashi added.

"Hey maybe that was just a strange hunter ninja, that is different then most " Naruto suggested still not convinced that a man could have survived what looked like a lethal strike.

"A-ano I don't think so N-naruto-kun...Now that I recall I remember reading once that hunter ninja sever their target's heads and burn them immediately on the spot" she said fidgeting and feeling slightly bad she didn't like disagreeing with Naruto.

Kakashi nodded. "She's right the choice of weapons is strange enough, but hunter ninja don't deviate from how they handle their targets. We can certainly assume that we haven't seen the last of Zabuza." he said before frowning.

Naruto crossed his arms before his gaze became serious. "Then what do we do?" he asked.

"We protect Tazuna and do as much training as we can to prepare for his return. Starting tomorrow all three of you will do a group exercise and after tomorrow's training I will begin training each of you separately the following days, as the rest of you will be in charge of protecting Tazuna while he's busy working on the bridge. " he stated.

Each of the genin nodded and turned their attention to the front door as footsteps could be heard outside.

As the door to the house opened all of the ninja tensed immediately as an attractive woman in her early thirties and a small boy no more the seven or eight years old stepped inside the house.

"Woah no need to worry this is my daughter Tsunami and my grandson Inari" Tazuna explained as he offered a smile.

"A pleasure to meet you all...you must be the Leaf Ninja my Father hired." she said with a smile before she bowed her head politely.

"Yup that's us we're gonna kick anyone's butt that tries to mess with us" Naruto said with a wide grin.

Sasuke and Kakashi shook their heads while Hinata giggled.

Tsunami laughed after a moment before responding. "Well I feel better already" she said offering the leaf Ninja a smile.

The boy said nothing for a moment as he crossed his arms and frowned.

"Grandpa these are the fools that you hired ? They should just leave before they end up dead like anyone else who's tried to stop Gato." he said bluntly.

Naruto eyebrow twitched as he could feel the fire being fanned in his belly.

Tazuna bowed his head sadly as Tsunami spoke.

"Inari please don't do this...these nice people are here to help your grandfather and the village." she pleaded.

Inari's brow furrowed before he shook his head. "No their just more people that will make promises they can't keep." he said his voice reflecting a deep seated sadness.

Sasuke frowned and Hinata looked on worriedly as Naruto stood up. "I don't know what your problem is kid, but I don't lie and I never back down. I made a promise to help your grandpa build this bridge and I'm not going to stop until I see it through. I'm not going to die until I become Hokage so I refuse to die anytime soon." he stated with a great amount of conviction as he glared at the kid.

"Your an idiot you don't know how it feels to be surrounded by despair and loneliness...you don't know anything " he cried before he turned and ran up the stairs a few moments later a slamming sound could be heard as the door was shut behind him.

A moment of silence passed as Naruto strode to the front door. "I'm going out" he said simply before he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.

"W-wait N-naruto" Hinata began to call out before Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go... he needs some space...I've seen that look before." he said quietly.

She nodded numbly in response.

"I'm so sorry for that...Inari has never been the same since Kaiza died." Tsunami said sadly.

Kakashi who had been quiet spoke up. "Would this have anything to do with Gato's occupation ? Just how long has Gato been here?" Kakashi asked.

"Your right it does...Kaiza was Inari's adoptive father my husband. It was a few years ago when Gato began trying to seize the Land of Waves , when Kaiza fought back he and anyone else who resisted Gato were killed as a public display of his power. Everyone is now too afraid to directly take up arms against him, but if the bridge is complete his power will be lost." she said softly.

"How so ?"Sasuke asked.

"Gato relies on the fact that the Wave has little to no contact with the outside world. Because of this he can control all of the trade in the area at the expense of everyone who lives here. If I can complete the Bridge his influence will be broken and he knows and fears that outcome" Tazuna said.

"Ano your v-very brave T-tazuna-san" Hinata said offering a weak smile.

"Me brave ? heh I'm just old I figure I don't have too many years left as it is. Least I can do is give this Village a chance for the future, before I croak" he chuckled.

* * *

Naruto walked through the desolate village with his fists clenched. He needed to get away from the house for a while and cool off before returning.

'That kid thinks he had it bad growing up...I would have given anything to had a mother...a grandfather. He doesn't have a clue what loneliness is' he thought as he turned down an alleyway only to hear a man's voice.

"Hey Bitch I'm just getting Gato's payment one way or another...now relax and who knows you might even enjoy it" stated a voice further down the alleyway before it was accompanied with a muffled cry.

Naruto's canines elongated as his claws began to extend as well.

As he came into view of the scene he found a big burly man with a sleeveless navy jacket and pants pushing a young woman up against the wall. He had a wicked grin on his face as he was snaking his fingers of one hand up her skirt while holding her by the throat with his other hand.

Naruto let out a primal growl as a red chakra began to swirl around him.

"LET HER GO" he growled.

The man stopped as he turned to look at the feral Naruto stalking towards him.

"What the hell is wrong with you kid ? What are you?" he asked fear registering in his eyes as he reached for a knife strapped to his belt before pressing it against the girls neck.

"S-stay back...or I'll gut this bitch" he said.

"I gave you a chance..." Naruto growled before he disappeared from sight before he reappeared and grabbed the man's wrist that was holding the knife and crushed it with ease.

The man almost immediately released the girl as he began screaming as he reached for his shattered wrist with his other hand before backing away slowly from Naruto.

The girl registering fear as well bolted out of the alley way immediately.

"Stay back you monster!" the man cried.

"Monster? You think I'm a monster? It's men like you that are the real monsters." he roared as he picked the man up by his neck before he began to dig his claws into his throat.

Naruto struggled for a moment before he released the man dropping him to the ground.

"Run now and consider this your last warning...tell your friends if they don't stop preying on this village I won't be so merciful the next time." he said.

The man jumped to his feet before quickly scrambling out of the alleyway.

**"You should have just killed him"** The fox said.

"And if had I would have been nothing, but a monster" Naruto said as he closed his eyes a took a deep breath as all signs of the kyuubi's influence receded.

**"Kit your going to learn the hard way that sometimes you have to do what's necessary whether you like it or not. In any case you should return to your friends, No doubt they'll be growing worried about you."** said the Fox.

"If I didn't know any better it sounds like you actually care about me." Naruto replied mentally as he turned and began quickly cutting down the adjacent alleyways.

**"Think what you will it doesn't really matter to me." **the Kyuubi rumbled.**  
**

Naruto just rolled his eyes as shoved his hands into his jacket and made his way back towards Tazuna's house.


	6. Chapter 6

The Atmosphere within Tazuna's home had relaxed considerably since the earlier incident between Naruto and Inari.

The leaf team was treated to Tsunami's cooking which earn glowing reviews from each of the Ninja especially Naruto who had asked for multiple servings.

As the evening turned to night each of the genin began to turn in for the night knowing that tomorrow's exercises with Kakashi could consist of anything. The last to head to bed was Naruto. As he began to head for the stairs he saw Inari sitting on the bottom of the stairs.

"Inari?" Naruto asked studying the boy for a long moment.

"Naruto can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked as he looked up at the blonde it was clear he had been crying recently.

"Eh Sure what's wrong?" Naruto asked as walked forward before leaning on the railing of the stairs.

"I-I just wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier...I was wrong to say those things. Hinata told me how bad you had it growing up." He said quietly.

Naruto's eyes widened. "When did she tell you that?" he asked.

"Right after you left the house" he said.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

Inari stood at the window watching as the loud mouthed idiot stormed away from the house heading towards the village.

"What does he know? he has no idea what he's talking about." Inari sniffed as he wiped his eyes.

A moment later a soft knock could be heard at his door. He sniffed and quickly dried his tears before he turned and walked to the door. Opening the door he saw the female ninja from earlier standing there fiddling nervously with her fingers.

"What do you want?" he snapped narrowing his eyes.

"Ano may I come in please? Theres something I need to say" she said softly.

He almost considered slamming the door in her face but instead he backed away from the door. "Tch do whatever you want, but I'm not going to apologize to your friend. He's an idiot." he said as he turned walking back into his room.

Hinata walked silently into the room behind him before she found her voice again as she shut the door behind her.

"Ano you shouldn't talk about N-naruto-kun that way. Your so upset with him, but I think he understands you more then you think, I just don't think you understand him." she said softly.

"Then why are you here? to lecture me?" Inari asked as he turned to glare at the girl.

"I want to help you understand him and then maybe you'll understand why he won't abandon this cause. N-naruto-kun has been alone since he was born, most of our village doesn't like Naruto, but he never let it keep him down he's always been such a strong person and those around him feel stronger as well." she said quietly as she allowed a small smile.

"W-why are you telling me this?" Inari asked in a much softer tone.

"B-because I think Naruto's true strength doesn't come from his ability as a Ninja or his physical strength, but the will to never give up. He knows better the a-anyone that if you want something badly enough you hold on to that dream and f-fight for it. I-Inari your not going to win every battle, but I-I think true strength means r-rising when you fall and never giving in. I t-think your capable of doing that as well" she said before falling silent.

Inari wiped his eyes before he simply stared at her.

"Y-you really think I can do something?" he asked weakly.

"I know you can..." she replied with a tender smile.

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

"She really said all of that?" Naruto asked before a small smile spread across his face.

Inari nodded.

"You know she's right...your only incapable of doing something if that's what you believe, but I believe you can help bring change to your village" Naruto said sincerely.

Inari sniffed. "I-I'm so tired of crying.." he exclaimed.

Naruto smiled as he walked over and knelt down before placing a hand on Inari's shoulder. "Hey don't worry so much and keep in mind for the future...it's alright to cry when you're happy." he said .

Inari sniffed again before offering a weak smile in response. "Thanks for everything...I'm sorry about earlier." he said.

"Eh don't worry about it we're friends now...I should get to bed though or Kakashi-Sensei will kill me if I fall asleep during tomorrow's training" he said before offered another wave before he slipped passed Inari on the stairs.

"Oi I'll see you tomorrow Inari" he called as he reached the top of the landing and made his way into one of the small guest rooms before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Naruto lay on top of Hinata in a field of wildflowers. Sweat dripped off his face as his cerulean blue eyes gazed deep into her beautiful lavender pools. "Your so beautiful Hina-chan" he said as he reached out and tucked a few stray blueblack hairs behind her ear before kissing her forehead softly.

Hinata's eyes sparkled in delight as she looked up at him. "Kiss me Naruto-kun" she breathed as she reached up and caressed his whiskered cheek.

Naruto leaned forward to capture her lips .

"Mmm Hina-chan" he said in delight only to feel the world around him fading, as he blinked his eyes he found himself laying on his back in the grassy field that he,Hinata, and and the rest of his team had arrived at hours earlier..

As he sat up he saw two girls standing next to him.

Hinata was blushing furiously as she fidgeted with her fingers, while the second girl whom Naruto didn't recognize was cradling a basket and offered him a friendly smile. The girl looked to be perhaps a year or two older then him and Hinata, she had long silky black hair, pale skin and large, dark brown eyes.

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Woah what happened and who are you miss?" he asked blinking his eyes.

"A-ano ...you fell after f-finishing the r-reviewing tree c-climbing with Sensei...He said you were fine, but a-asked me to w-wait here till you a-awoke"Hinata said softly still fidgeting slightly.

"Hehe yeah I probably overdid it and used too much chakra. At least with each other's help it didn't take that long" he said laughing before he again scratched the back of his head.

Hinata giggled before she glanced over to the girl beside her. "A-ano N-naruto-kun t-this is Haku-san...I met her while she was p-picking herbs a-around here" she said softly.

Haku still had a small smile on her face as she bowed her head forward.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Naruto-san, Hinata here was telling me all about you and was even nice enough to help me pick some herbs, while waiting for you to wake up" she said.

Hinata blushed faintly while Naruto grinned widely.

"Yeah Hinata is the greatest! and it's nice to meet you too" he exclaimed happily before he stood up and began dusting his pants off.

Hinata began to resemble a tomato while Haku giggled at the blonde's energy.

"Soooo what are the herbs for anyways ?" he asked curiously

Haku glanced down at her basket a moment before a sincere smile spread across her face. "These are for someone precious to me that is injured at the moment" she said softly.

Naruto's demeanor shifted slightly as he smiled. "Someone precious huh?" he asked almost in a whisper.

"Hai that person that you would do anything for without hesitation...you know that one person that means more to you then your entire life" she said thoughtfully.

Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened at her statement but both remained quiet.

"I think the two of you know that feeling well" she said before smiling fondly at the pair.

Both blushed furiously though both mentally acknowledging her words.

Haku giggled softly as she looked at the pair.

"It was a pleasure to meet both of you, but I should be getting back...it's getting late. Good luck with your training and be safe...I hope you both can protect what is most precious to you" she as she offered a final smile that almost seemed sad.

As Haku began to walk away Hinata hesitated a moment before running and catching up with the older girl. When she did the Haku turned raising an eyebrow.

Hinata finally spoke after a moment almost in a whisper.

"A-ano...Haku..p-please don't do t-this...we s-shouldn't have to f-fight" she said in a small voice.

Haku's eyes widened and she was about to reach for a weapon under her Kimono, but stopped as she kept her face composed.

"H-how did you know?" she asked softly.

"I-I saw it with my eyes...your chakra is the same as the Hunter Nin we saw a few days ago..." she said quietly.

Haku's body relaxed slightly though her gaze hardened slightly.

"Hinata...there is no avoiding what fate and Zabuza-sama intends for me. I hope that I don't have to fight you or Naruto, but if that day comes we will both be fighting for what is most precious to us" she said softly as she turned and without another word left Hinata standing there.

Hinata stood there with a concerned expression for several moments till she finally heard a voice that brought her out of her reverie.

"Oi earth to Hina-chan! " Naruto said as he waved his hand in front of her face.

Hinata blushed before responding.

"H-hai?" she asked.

Naruto just shook his head. "Come on Hinata, lets go back to Tazuna's house and eat! I'm famished" he cried before he grabbed her hand and began darting out of the field, through the village, and back towards Tazuna's house.

* * *

Early the next day Hinata and Naruto found themselves on the bridge watching Tazuna while Sasuke was to spend the day training with Kakashi one on one.

Hinata watched in wonder as Naruto and a horde of his clones began darting across the bridge assisting in anyway possible.

When they had arrived earlier Tazuna had learned that over half of his team previously working on the bridge had quit, most likely afraid of what Gato would do to them and their families.

Naruto had surprised the bridge builder with a solution to his shortage of man power.

Hinata leaned against the railing of the incomplete bridge as she watched with a small smile as the massive amount of clones worked diligently. She couldn't help but worry as she noticed the real Naruto standing off to the side of the bridge with a very spaced out look. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him space out lately and she had begun to worry about that their was something bothering him..

What Hinata didn't realize was that Naruto was actually in his mindscape standing before the Kyuubi's cage.

"I know this may sound weird coming from me Fox, but why have you been so quiet lately? You use to be a lot more talkative is something wrong?'he asked as he approached the bars cautiously.

**_Kyuubi huffed as the cage shook slightly. "And what makes you think I would share such a thing even if it were true?"_**

Naruto crossed his arms. "Would you believe that I was actually concerned about you?"

**_"You would be the first host I've had to care...what gives you such an impression?" he said as he began to pace back and forth eying the blonde with an intense look._**

"Well for one...I haven't heard a smart ass comment in a few days...strangely enough you've been silent since what happened with Hinata earlier this week. I'm not the sharpest Kunai at times...but I'm smarter then most people give me credit for.."

**_The Kyuubi sighed. "Fine you want to play the role of a concerned Host then don't lash out at me for what I'm about to tell you. Your little mate...Hinata she's more like you then you know" _**

Naruto stopped before looking wide eyed, he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach what the fox was implying...but it seemed impossible.

"What your suggesting makes no sense!...don't leave me in suspense. What are you talking about?" he asked as he forgot the danger the fox posed as he ran up to the bars and gripped them as he stared up at the imposing demon.

The Fox growled.

**"Little Hinata doesn't even know it, but she has followed you and believed in you all these years, because she felt close to you, that she shared a bond with you. It's incredible how ironic it is...I can't believe it took me so long to realize it."**

Naruto paled. "Please don't tell me she's like me..." he whispered as he felt as if he'd been punched in the gut.

The Kyuubi dipped his head down right in front of the cage, till only a few inches separated their faces.

**"Hinata is like you in more ways the one, she holds the two tailed Fox...also known as the Nibi."**

Naruto's eyes widened before his face contorted in anger as he squeezed the bar tightly.

"NO" he screamed.

"It's not fair...not Hinata...she doesn't deserve to have to face that life...it can't be..." he said as he fell to his knees as he still clutched the bars.

**"Boy what is fair and what is true are two separate things..." the Fox offered as he peered down at the boy on the floor.**

"No...you must be mistaken...I don't believe you" whispered Naruto as he shook his head.

**"Kit you can deny it as much as you like, but you will have to face the truth eventually much like her. I saw what you missed around her...she clearly is ostracized by her family...her lack of confidence probably stems from that at the very least, and I'm willing to bet part of that treatment is due to her being a Jinchuriki. Those Elders who told her about having a bloodline limit for healing, were clearly lying, but of course the scenario was much more plausible and easier for them to likely manipulate rather than telling her the truth. Remember when she mentioned never getting sick...you can't get sick with an all powerful demon in your gut. Even without me consciously lending my chakra to you...my very presence wards off sickness and lesser poisons." he stated.**

Naruto felt himself losing it as he felt tears running down his cheeks.

"Dammit...she doesn't deserve this..."

The Kyuubi huffed.

**"I tell you this...because once upon a time the Nibi was my mate, back when I wasn't simply confined to this form much less a host, but we've been separated for years...she was in the land of lightning and I have been stuck in the land of fire. I'll be damned if I let anything happen to her or that girl...you protect them or I will get out of this cage and kill you. I know this comes as a shock to you, but I swear to you kit, that when my mate awakens Hinata will be in good hands...She always did have a soft spot for humans, something in which I've never really understood...now go and pull yourself together and get back out there."**

Naruto rose to his feet nodding. "A-alright...for what it's worth thanks for telling me the truth" he stated.

**The Kyuubi grunted. "Think nothing of it, we both have a vested interest in Hinata's safety, as long as she's safe so is the Nibi. Now go and proceed cautiously with how you tell Hinata, personally I'd wait till this mission is concluded." he said as he fell back further into the cage to where only his eyes were visible.**

"Why is that? " Naruto asked.

**"Because remember how you acted when you first learned the truth? you were unable to function for nearly a week, granted you were young, but telling her while on this mission may do more harm then good" Kyuubi stated.**

Naruto nodded as he relaxed a bit. "Thanks fox." he murmured before he left his mindscape to find a nearly tearful Hinata starring at him her hands gripping his shoulders tightly.

"Oh sorry whats up do I have something on my face ?" he said before laughing sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"N-naruto what's wrong...and don't t-tell me you were just spaced out" she whispered.

Naruto sighed. "I'm ok really Hinata-chan, sometimes I speak with the fox and I sort of enter this room in my mind where I can better speak with him." he explained.

"You can speak with the Kyuubi?" she asked her eyes widening.

"Yeah he's really not that bad once you get to know him." he said scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Your s-sure your ok ?" she asked studying him closely.

"You betcha " he said forcing a smile for her.

She saw through his deception, but allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"Come on you three let's get home...I bet by now my daughter is fixing dinner by now" Tazuna called before he strode past the duo.

As the pair began to follow after him Naruto's eyes were large and excited.

"Oh Boy I hope it's ramen" he cried earning a sweat drop from Tazuna and a giggle from Hinata.

'All this kid talks about is ramen' Tazuna thought shaking his head before laughing.

* * *

Several hours later Naruto lay against the roof starring at the moon and star streaked sky.

The day itself had been long and exhausting and the conversation he'd had with the Kyuubi only worried him more. He sighed as he put his hands behind his head.

His thoughts were interrupted by voice below he instantly recognized as Sasuke.

"Mind if I join you?"

Naruto looked down at his friend and grinned.

"Nah...come on up"he said.

"So what are you doing up here so late aren't you training one on one with Sensei tomorrow?" Sasuke asked as he landed a few feet from Naruto before leaning back assuming a similar position as the blonde.

"Eh I'll be fine,believe it or not I couldn't sleep and ...I've had a lot on my mind" he said in a subdued voice.

"Is this about what that kid said the other day ? " Sasuke asked as he looked over at the blonde.

"Inari ? Nah believe it or not things are fine now. No this about something else" Naruto admitted.

"So what is it?" Sasuke asked quirking a brow.

Naruto closed his eyes fighting a battle with himself.

"If it was only that easy..." he chuckled with no humor in his voice.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Blonde.

"Why can't it be ? Look we all have skeletons in our closet " he stated.

'Yeah but you don't have a giant fox in your closet' Naruto thought to himself before sighing.

"I wish it were that simple...I'll tell you some day Sasuke...just not now"

"Whatever you say Naruto...just remember you're the one who keeps preaching teamwork. " he grunted, before turning back towards the house, leaving the blonde to his thoughts.

* * *

The Next Several days passed without a single mishap, with each of the genin taking their turns training one on one with Kakashi while the other two watched the bridge builder.

Over the course of this time construction of the bridge continued as scheduled, of course benefiting greatly from an army of Shadow clones.

It wouldn't be much longer till the bridge was finished, with Kakashi fully recovered and having done as much training as possible the entire team decided to accompany Tazuna in the last few days, to ensure there was no incident before the bridge was finished.

Of course they had no idea that this was the very day the the Demon of the Mist would return...

"Oi Old man at the rate we've been going the last few days how much longer do you think it will be until the bridge is finished ?" Naruto asked folding his hands behind his head as he walked forward following behind the bridge builder as they made their way towards the bridge itself.

Tazuna snorted before he looked over his shoulder. "Well Kid..with that little trick of yours...I'd say maybe another couple of days. Then it'll be all over ...Gato's influence will be broken" he said a smiling spread across his aged face.

"Wooh we kick ass! No one will believe that we've already done our first A rank mission" Naruto cheered.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, but smirked.

Kakashi was quiet as he walked. 'I don't it's going to be that simple.' he thought to himself.

As a precaution early that morning he had left Pakkun behind at Tazuna's, a decision he would later be thankful for. He knew with only a few days until the Bridge's completion Zabuza would have to strike soon. His instincts couldn't be any more right...

* * *

As the group reached the bridge they were greeted by a thick mist that obscured a good portion of the far side of the bridge. Screams were soon heard as silhouettes emerged from the mist. Several bridge workers began running in the direction of the approaching Ninja.

"Demons...there are demons in the mist" cried one of the men who just kept running never stopping once.

"This is it...Zabuza has returned." Kakashi stated as he clenched his fists.

"Sasuke get Tazuna back to his home this bridge is far too exposed for us to defend...Naruto...Hinata your with me"

"Sensei this is stupid we should stay together" Sasuke stated as he began looking around the mist that was already spreading further down the bridge towards them.

"Sasuke I gave you an order...now move" he said before he pulled his headband up exposing his Sharingan.

"Fine." Sasuke growled

"You three better stay alive" Sasuke said before he grabbed Tazuna's arm and began pulling him away from the encroaching mist.

Naruto clenched his hands together as a few moments later the mist began to surround their current position. "Damn Cowards" he growled.

"Byakugan" Hinata cried.

"Hinata what can you see?" Kakashi asked.

"It's no good...I can only see partially through the mist...but my full vision is clouded..." she said before her eyes widened.

"Incoming from above" she yelled.

A volley of Senbon rained down between the group forcing each of them to leap apart from one another.

As Kakashi landed his peripheral caught a hint of movement, just in the nick of time he raised a kunai to block a giant full bladed sword.

"Huh...this seems familiar" Zabuza remarked as he stared eye to eye with Kakashi.

"Then I'm sure you remember how it ends" Kakakshi said as he kept his eyes focused on the man he was still in a gridlock with.

"Kakashi you should know better then that...a simple change in the battlefield can change everything" he remarked before kicked Kakashi in the chest forcing him backwards and further away from the two Genin.

"Take care of the other two pests" Zabuza barked as he strode forward towards Kakashi with a glint in his eye.

Naruto and Hinata were now again side by side, when another volley of senbon appeared out of the mist.

"N-naruto-kun" Hinata cried as she pushed him out of the way taking a half dozen senbon into her right arm.

Naruto's eyes widened as his fist clenched as he got back to his feet just in time to see the Hunter Ninja they encountered before emerge from the mist.

"Hinata are you ok ?" he cried.

Hinata held her right arm as blood began to seep through her jacket.

"H-Hai it's not l-lethal" she said as she bit her lip as she pulled out the Senbon in quick succession, before removing her jacket and or at least what remained of it considering what had happened earlier in the mission. She was now left in a simple fishnet shirt and her arm was covered in blood.

Naruto began to see red as he glared at the Hunter Ninja.

"Why would you do this?" he screamed before he ran headlong attempting to punch Haku only to make contact with nothing but thin air.

"I do this...because I can be of use ...I may only be a tool...but as long as I am a valuable tool to Zabuza-Sama...then my existence means something" a voice whispered behind the pair.

As the pair turned to face Haku they would see a blur of handsigns before hearing her muffled voice cry.

"Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors "

As her voice faded away the pair found themselves surrounded by a dome of twenty-one floating mirrors. Each of the mirrors projecting Haku in them.

Naruto made his way right next to Hinata before he spoke in a frantic voice.

"Hinata-chan...what is this ? " he asked.

"I-I think this s-some sort of Kekkei Genkai.." she said as her eyes darted around closely examining each of the mirrors.

"You are correct...this is indeed my gift...my curse...my tool to serve Zabuza-Sama. This technique is unstoppable...I believe you will find your Byakugan is ineffective against me now"

"T-this is w-why h-he wanted you to fight me...h-he knew my Dojutsu w-would be rendered useless." Hinata breathed.

"Hinata-chan...it doesn't matter we'll get through this no matter what the odds are...believe it" he said.

Hinata looked shaken but nodded and seemed to visibly relax.

"Your will to protect each other is admirable...even commendable, but I wonder if your will to protect one another, is greater than my will to make Zabuza's dream a reality" Haku said as each of the reflections began to ready senbon in their hands.

"P-please don't do t-this" Hinata begged.

"That isn't an option I wish it didn't have to come to this...but I will make Zabuza-Sama's dream a reality or die as his tool in the process." Haku said before releasing a volley of senbon from every direction.

While Hinata didn't have a heightened reaction time like the Sharingan, her vision made it easier to at least see where each series of Senbon was coming from. As several moments passed the pair avoided being skewered with Hinata's vision and Naruto's use of his Shadow clones, however for every volley a few senbons would make contact. While a single one wasn't much the senbon seemed endless where as the pairs endurance while resilient was not.

"Hinata-chan...we've got to find a chance to strike...if we stay on the defensive like this we're screwed..." he said gritting his teeth as several senbon caught his left leg.

"S-she keeps moving from one mirror to the next...our only chance to strike is when she's moving...b-but she's so fast I c-can barely see it" she said between breaths.

"Maybe we c-" Naruto started before he was interrupted.

"Naruto look out" Hinata cried as she shoved him out off the way a second time before twirling on heel to avoid the senbon.

As Naruto looked on in surprise he felt a scream catch in his throat as a single senbon flew from one of the mirrors behind Hinata...he was so sure she would see it in time...but he was dead wrong as it went into her neck and she fell forward limply. He ran to her side feeling tears running down his cheeks as he cradled her petite limp form.

"No No NO...why ?" He screamed as he stared into her lifeless face. Her eyes were closed,and he couldn't feel her breathing...as far as he could tell she was dead...

"You should be proud of her...she gave herself to protect what was most precious to her...there is no better way to die" Haku said pausing to watch the grieving blonde.

Naruto hands clenched as he bowed his head low.

His entire frame began to shake as fingernails became claws and his canines grew longer and longer till they hung out visible. A malevolent red chakra began to seep out from his body shrouding him completely. He sat Hinata down gently before he stood up to glare at Haku with crimson red eyes.

"I'm going to fucking Kill you"he screamed as he lunged forward and began swatting the mirrors with his claws destroying them as if they were nothing. Every time a mirror was destroyed one would soon take it's place.

_**"Kit you can have my power but you need to calm down...your attacking blindly" Kyuubi yelled from his mindscape.**_

His words and the ones that followed fell on deaf ears as the blonde who was in a rage only continued to swat and destroy mirror after mirror.

Series after series of wild attacks resulted in Naruto receiving more and more Senbon...in his current state he had taken several dozen and was still moving, but his body was far too weak and young at the moment to sustain much of the fox's chakra much less use it for very long. He finally collapsed to one knee as Senbon now riddled nearly his entire body. As the Foxes power withdrew from his body his anger turned to sadness as he felt himself unable to go on any further.

Haku seeing the fight was done finally emerged from one of the mirrors.

Naruto blinked back tears as he looked over at Hinata's still body.

"Hinata-chan I'm so sorry...so sorry that I couldn't protect you...so sorry that I am the failure everyone has called me for years...but what I'm most sorry about...is that I never told you that...I love you"he said before choking back tears as Haku stalked towards him.

* * *

"I love you" the words seemed to echo in her head...the voice sounded so familiar. She took a breath for what seemed like the first time in an eternity and opened her eyes and rose to her feet.

Hinata Hyuuga found herself in a giant marble stone chamber. In front of her stood a massive gate...she couldn't fathom it's purpose nor hers for being here in the first place.

"Am I dead?" she murmured to herself softly.

**"Hardly little one" a feminine voice bellowed.**

The source seemed to resonate from the gate. Hinata bit her lip nervously as she approached the gate to look see what lay inside...

Inside lay a massive Cat like creature that was bathed wild blue flames. It possessed a yellow right eye and a green green left eye, both void of pupils.

Hinata's eyes widened as she stared at the creature for the longest moment, before speaking.

"W-who are you?...and where am I?" she said in such a weak voice.

**"I have many names...the Two Tailed Cat...the Neko Demon...for now you may call me Nibi...perhaps one day I will share with you my true name.." she said as she cocked her head to the side as her two tails swished back and forth.**

Hinata's eyes widened. She'd clearly heard of the Nine Tails...and stories of other demons...but this was mind boggling for her.

"I-It's a p-pleasure to m-meet you Nibi-Sama" she stuttered before bowing low.

**"Well I've had many types of first greetings in the past...though none of them actually bowed to me" The large Feline chuckled before shaking her head.**

**"I'm not as prideful or as stuck on formalities, as some... Hinata...Nibi should suffice for now.."**

"H-hai...Ano w-where are we ?" Hinata asked again fidgeting slightly.

The Cat demon studied her host a moment , wondering how well she would handle the information she was about to give her.

**"We're in your Mind scape right now little one...I know this will be difficult for you to accept, but you much like Naruto are a Jinchuriki and I reside here within you. " she said softly**.

Hinata eyes widened as she seemed confused more than anything. "B-but if t-that's true...w-why haven't I ever been t-told...why am I not...t-treated like N-Naruto-kun ?"she asked as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

**'This child is something else...she feels more guilty for not sharing more in Naruto's pain then being upset that she's a Jinchuriki.'**

**"Hinata...my existence has been kept secret for many years now, I was captured after my former host's death...the Leaf held me for many years, before finally finding a suitable host.'**

Hinata felt herself close to loosing it, but she managed to swallow down her anxiety.

**"Hinata I know this is difficult...there is so much I know I need to explain to you...but your friend needs you right now."**

Hinata's felt herself shake. "Haku...the bridge...we were fighting there...I have to help Naruto-kun...I can't lose him" she said as a look of determination crossed her face.

**"Hinata...your body at the moment is taxed...I will lend you some of my energy...it will feel intoxicating and the power will feel like nothing you've ever experienced...but you mustn't let yourself lose control" she said.**

"I-I understand...please Naruto-kun needs me" she said as she stared at the Nibi.

**'I hope your ready Hinata' The Demoness thought to herself as she began to channel a tiny portion of her power to her host.**

* * *

Sasuke had quickly guided Tazuna off the Bridge and back towards town.

However before the pair made it even halfway back to the village, Sasuke froze a moment as he sensed something.

"Get down" he yelled as he dropped to the ground just as a razor sharp chain passed over them.

As Sasuke leapt to his feet he saw a two cloaked figures standing about 5 yards away connected at their arms by a long chain.

"I've been itching to kill someone for weeks now" the one on the left said.

The one on the right shook his head. "You'll have excuse my brother...he is slightly unstable. This is Gozu and I am Meizu...we are known as the Demon brothers." he stated with a sense of pride in his voice.

Sasuke took a Taijutsu stance as he moved in front of Tazuna. "Sorry never heard of you...guess neither of you are of much consequence in the bingo book" he said before smirking.

Gozu growled as started to move forward only to find himself yanked back by his brother.

"Now Now Uchiha...we are only doing our jobs...we're not getting paid to kill you...only to eliminate the Bridge builder...so you can aside and your free to go...cross us and you will unfortunately die" Meizu said without any emotion in his voice.

Sasuke shook his head before moving closer to the Bridge builder.

"Well it looks like your going to have to work for your money this time" Sasuke stated.

"Fine don't say we didn't warn you" Meizu said.

"This is going to be fun" leered Gozu as he licked his lips as he looked at the pair before he and his brother prepared to lunge forward and attack.

"WAIT" a small voice called.

As the Ninja turned they could see Inari approaching from about hundred feet away with at least a couple of hundred people tailing him.

'What is he doing? He's going to get these people killed.' Sasuke thought.

* * *

"I am sorry Naruto...for Hinata I will make this quick" Haku said as she raised her hand back preparing to throw a final volley of senbon when she froze as both her and Naruto looked over at Hinata as a powerful violet chakra began to pour out of her body. Hinata's eyes flew open as she rose to her feet. The senbon in her body were sent flying as her wounds began to heal almost instantly.

As the chakra continued to surround her body her features sharpened. Her fingernails became razor sharp claws, her eyes became sharper and the tint shifted from her normal lavender gaze to a more violet shade. As she was encased in the shroud of Chakra she disappeared in a flash before reappearing in front of Naruto.

"I won't let you lay another hand on Naruto-Kun"she stated in a confident voice.

"Hinata I don't know what you and Naruto are...but your determination is strong...it's time to see which of our wills are stronger" Haku declared.

* * *

The fight between Kakashi and Zabuza had been rather tame so far, both combatants had only engaged in quick skirmishes. Each pressing the other trying to discover a weakness that could be exploited.

"Well Kakashi you're pretty quick on your feet...but ultimately this fight is already mine" Zabuza stated as leaped from the Mist trying to catch Kakashi from behind and cut him in half. Instead of meeting flesh and bone the two handed sword only made contact with a piece of wood before snapping it in half.

"What makes you so sure of that ?" Kakashi said as he now stood directly behind Zabuza as he pressed the tip of a kunai to Zabuza's throat.

"It's simple...your going to lose on all fronts...the Uchiha boy and the Bridge builder will never make it back to the village, my associates will make sure of that. Then the other two children facing Haku were dead before the fight even started...despite my superior strength and experience even I wouldn't wish to fight Haku."he said.

Kakashi remained indifferent as he kept his voice level. "And what about you Zabuza? What are your odds in this fight?" he asked as he let the kunai dig into Zabuza throat only to watch as the man before dissipated into water.

'A water clone' he thought before he ducked just barely avoiding being decapitated before flipping backwards away from Zabuza.

Zabuza stood with his sword planted in the ground at the moment.

"As I said...this fight is already mine" he said with an air of confidence.

Kakashi was about to bite his thumb to prepare a summon but stopped dead in his tracks as he and Zabuza stared over in the direction of where Haku,Hinata, and Naruto were fighting.

'I sensed the Kyuubi's chakra just a few moments ago...this is the same kind of charka, but different...Hinata...I have to end this fight quickly, if Hinata or Naruto lose control, I need to stop them before they go too far' Kakashi thought before he turned his attention back to Zabuza.

"You leaf Ninja are certainly interesting...just who are those kids?" Zabuza asked as he pulled his sword from the ground and slung it over his shoulder.

Kakashi remained silent as he stared at Zabuza. 'Zabuza's no fool, I have to be careful one slip and this is all over' he thought.

Both of the Ninja's eyes darted away from one another when they saw a Nin Dog run in between them.

"Oi you both need to cool it" the dog said between pants.

"Pakkun ?" Kakashi asked raising a brow.

Zabuza just glared at the dog as he considered striking it down for interrupting them.

"There's something you both should hear...it's about Gato" Pakkun said between breaths.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at the Hinata that stood in front of him.

"H-Hinata is that really you?" Naruto asked in a hoarse voice as he struggled in vain to get to his feet.

"Hai Naruto-kun it's me...I now understand your burden, but you're no longer alone." she said as she looked over her shoulder her violet eyes softening as she looked at the boy she loved before she turned back to face Haku.

Naruto allowed a faint smile to reach his lips before he again tried to make his way back to his feet.

'Damnit...Fox can't you do something ?' he asked.

**"Patience kit your body is still recovering from using my Chakra...Your wounds should began healing soon, but don't worry about Hinata and the Nibi...watch and see what they can do"**

Naruto clenched his fist, but relaxed after a moment.

'Be careful Hinata-chan' he thought.

Hinata's eyes narrowed on Haku.

"I asked you to back down before...but now we do this the hard way" Hinata said as she took a deep breath as the Aura around her settled leaving her frame outlined in a pale violet glow.

"Prove your existence to me then Hinata..." she said simply as she reared her hand back and threw a series of Senbon Naruto.

Hinata arms blurred from sight as she used a quick succession of palm strikes to deflect the senbon away from Naruto.

She clenched her fist growling as her canines protruded further.

"Don't you dare try to hurt Naruto-kun" she snarled before she crouched like a feline on all fours before disappearing in a flash.

Haku too late recognized the incoming juken strikes. Blow for blow her Juken strikes hit Haku's chakra points with deadly precision...with each following strike her attacks grew more and more aggressive before finally she stopped as she knocked the girl back into a mirror cracking it from the force, before she disappeared again.

**"Hinata calm yourself...your losing yourself to the power...you have to harness it not let it control you" the Demoness urged.**

However her pleas fell on deaf ears at the moment as the Heiress had become driven by instinct...instinct to protect Naruto..instinct to kill if need be...

Hinata was no longer using her Juken as she reappeared feet away from Haku and made a vicious swipe towards the Ninja's face. The Demonic Chakra around her flared as the 21 mirrors trapping them began to crack under the pressure...

Hinata's powerful claws and the force of her attack shattered half of Haku's mask and sent the girl flying backwards crashing through the mirror before she was sent sprawling for several feet,coming to a stop about thirty feet away.

The mirrors that had once trapped them came crashing downwards as Hinata stalked forward like a Lioness towards the unmoving, but barely breathing Haku.

"I won't let you ever threaten or harm Naruto-kun again"she practically hissed as knelt down rearing her hand back as she prepared to bury her hand into Haku's chest.

"Do it Hinata...your will is stronger...I have failed to serve my Master...I'm not worthy to be his tool anymore"Haku choked out as she coughed up blood and her eyes rolled back in her head as she lost consciousness.

Hinata hesitated mid strike as her normal gentle nature clashed with her primal instincts and the influence of the chakra coursing through her at the moment. However before she could fight herself anymore she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind, not forcefully,but gently.

"Hinata-chan...it's ok...I'm just fine...let go of your rage...come back...come back to me" Naruto whispered softly into her ear.

Hinata felt her arm shake slightly, however after several long moments she relaxed her body and slowly her chakra began to recede and with it her demonic features.

As the power receded, her mind felt clear, however the rest of her felt thoroughly exhausted, she felt her self go limp only to be held in place by Naruto, after a moment he slowly adjusted her as he gently laid her head in his lap.

"I-I'm s-so sorry N-naruto-kun" she breathed softly as she flushed slightly and tears filled her lavender eyes.

"Hinata-chan...you have nothing to be sorry for ...believe it" he said with a smile as he ran his fingers through her silky hair.

She looked up into his cerulean gaze and smiled slightly though a blush still tinted her cheeks. She hesitantly raised a hand up to his whiskered cheek.

'Now she's shy again ?...but this is the gentle,sweet, and shy Hinata I love ' Naruto thought before smiling at her.

"A-ano N-Naruto-kun?"She said timidly as her fingertips still brushed against his cheek.

"H-hai Hinata-chan ?" he asked as he felt his heart began to race.

"I-I ..w-well I..."she floundered with her words as she looked down a moment before she took a breath. After a second she closed her eyes to steady herself, before she leaned up and grabbed either side of his face, She then slowly pressed her lips against his in a gentle, tender kiss that she hoped could convey what she was unable to say.

As their lips parted her eyes sparkled at she stared into his cerulean pools as he had once again given her the courage she needed.

"I l-love y-you N-naruto-kun" she managed weakly as her vision blurred slightly.

Naruto's eyes widened before softening as he hugged her tightly.

"And I you Hinata" he said softly.

She blushed again before her eyes fluttered as her strength left her as she went limp in his arms, even though she was unconscious a happy smile graced her lips.

'Rest Hinata-chan...this time I'll protect you' he thought as he cradled her in his arms.

* * *

_-Scene begins a few moments prior-_

"Gato intends to betray you even as we speak he and his thugs are heading here to kill anyone who's left alive." Pakkun stated.

Zabuza growled as his knuckles grew white from gripping his sword so tightly.

"Thanks Fido...looks like I have to book Gato with a one way ticket to Hell" he said as he placed his sword on his back before crossing his arms.

Kakashi sighed in relief. "Well now that you know you've been betrayed, call off your Nin-" he started before a shattering sound could be heard in the distance though the source was covered by the Mist.

'Dammit that was Hinata...she's using more of the demon's chakra...this could be bad.' he thought to himself.

Zabuza dispelled the surrounding mist with a handsign after a few moments and the pair looked into the distance of the bridge only to see Haku laying on the ground and Naruto cradling Hinata's body in his arms.

Zabuza eyed the scene closely for a moment before he strode over and picked up Haku before throwing her over his shoulder.

"You leaf Ninja are something else..." He mused as he turned as a commotion could be heard from further down the bridge. Naruto,Kakashi and Zabuza could all see large group of mercenaries with a short fat man stand in front of them with a fiendish look in his eyes

"Zabuza I should have known relying on your services was a mistake." the man said as he leaned on his cane.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here Gato..." Zabuza said as he reached behind his back gripping the handle of his sword.

"Nerve has little to do with it...I have money and man power not even you and those leaf Ninja can stand up to all of my men." he stated confidently.

"Well it's a good thing their not alone" a voice called from behind the group of thugs.

"Who said that?" Gato asked turning only to look horrified as a much larger group of villagers could be seen amassing behind his men. Standing at the front of the line was Inari,Sasuke and the Demon Brothers.

"That'd be me Fatso!" Inari yelled.

"Oh this going to be fun..." Gozu laughed manically.

"Well would you like at that...looks like your luck has run out" Zabuza said as he brandished his sword before charging forward at Gato.

The fight was over before it even began as Gato's forces were quickly slain or took their chances by jumping into the sea.

As the last of the forces were routed Gato backed up until he was standing at the edge of the bridge as Zabuza stalked forward.

"Looks like you're out of men to hide behind" he laughed as he began dragging his blade on the ground as he moved forward.

"W-wait Z-zabuza it was just business...it was nothing personal. Let me make this up to you." he begged.

"I lost four men on this job for you...I'm sure they'll keep you company in Hell" he said as he stabbed his blade through Gato's midsection.

"Enjoy the vacation though...because when I come down there I'll show you why they call me the demon of the mist" he said before he wrenched his blade out of Gato's guts before kicking him off the bridge and into the sea below.

Thus ending Gato's reign over the Land of Waves.

* * *

Only a few days later the bridge was completed and life in The Land of Waves had already begun to change for the best. For the first time in years the village could breath a sigh of relief knowing Gato would never return.

Only hours after the battle on the bridge Zabuza had disappeared in the chaos with Haku and the demon brothers without a word. Only time would tell if Team 7 would seen them again and if at that next meeting they would be friend or foe.

The group of Leaf Ninja now stood on the completed bridge offering their final farewells, or a better description was that Naruto was still talking as the others had already said their final goodbye ten minutes ago.

"Oi Inari take care of your mom and be strong" he yelled.

"Oh an-" he was cut off as Sasuke put him in a headlock and began dragging him down the bridge.

"Come on you idiot...I'd like to get somewhere before dark" he grunted as he pulled along the protesting blonde.

Hinata just giggled as she ran to catch up with her teammates.

As the Bridge builder Tazuna and Inari watched the retreating forms of the Konoha Ninja Inari spoke up.

"Hey Grandpa...what are we going to call the bridge now that it's complete ?" He asked as he turned to look at the old man.

Tazuna smiled as he turned to look at his grandson.

"I think we should name it after the person that inspired change here in the Wave...without his inspiration you would have never have gained the courage to lead our people to drive Gato's people from this land...without his help this bridge would not have been completed on time...I think we shall call it ...The Great Naruto Bridge."


	7. Chapter 7

The trip back from the Land of Waves had been an uneventful one. As the team arrived back into the Leaf village they quickly made their way to the tower and delivered their briefing excluding the details of anything to do with the Kobi or Kyuubi. However it wouldn't be long until the truth would come to light...

"Excellent Job Team 7, you should be quite proud of yourselves" Sarutobi said as he laced his fingers together.

"Sasuke you are dismissed I need to speak with the rest of your team for a moment" he stated.

Sasuke however remained rooted there with his arms crossed. "With all due respect Hokage-Sama...if this has something to do with my team... I'd like to know " he said as he looked around at the other members of team 7.

Naruto traded a glance towards Hinata who shyly nodded her head as he looked at her.

"Sasuke is right...he deserves to know the truth about me and Hinata-chan." he said

Sarutobi sighed but nodded. "Very well then Naruto please close the door Kakashi" he stated as he picked up his pipe.

As the door was shut the room fell silent as Sasuke looked around the room at each person before his gaze stopped on Naruto.

Naruto fidgeted slightly as he found speaking difficult at the moment, however he soon felt a small hand grab his. He cast a thankful smile to Hinata as he looked back up at Sasuke and took a deep breath.

"Alright enough of the suspense...just say it already" Sasuke said as he place either of his hands in his pockets.

Naruto took another breath before he finally spoke. "Sasuke what do you know of the Nine tailed Fox?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked a bit surprise by the question but spoke after a moment. "Not much beyond the basics..I know that it attacked the village and the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life in order to kill it. " he offered.

The adults in the room remained quiet intent on letting the genin converse for the moment.

"A-ano that's n-not entirely T-true Sasuke-kun...it's j-just what we were all t-told in the a-academy"Hinata said softly before she squeezed Naruto's hand again.

"Then what is the truth ?" Sasuke asked simply as he looked between Hinata and Naruto.

"The truth is Sasuke, that not even the Fourth with all his skill was able to kill the Kyuubi, in fact it's impossible to kill a being such as the Fox. So he did the next best thing...he sealed the Fox away into a newborn baby, in hopes that the child would be able to keep the Ninetails from ever hurting the village again. He ...had hoped this child would be seen as a hero, but instead the villagers treated the boy like he was the demon itself."Naruto said as his voice began to grow softer as he looked away.

"What a bunch of idiots" Saskue remarked after a moment.

Naruto looked up with a questioning look on his face as he looked at his friend.

"What?" he asked simply.

"I realize now...that you must be the one that contains the Kyuubi, though what I can't understand is how stupid people can be" he said a hint of anger showing in his face as his onyx eyes were narrowed.

The adults still remained quiet but all seemed to share a sense of relief at Sasuke's reaction.

"You mean...your not afraid ...or want to be reassigned to another team?" Naruto asked as he looked at the raven haired ninja.

Sasuke just huffed. "Look Idiot, your clearly no Demon...as far as I'm concerned you just have a large battery of chakra inside you and as long as you don't let that thing out on a rampage I could care less." he said before smirking leaving the blonde to stare at him like he'd grown a second head before the blonde leaped forward and hugged his friend.

**"I've been reduced to a battery ? Wonderful this is why I just love mortals" grumbled the Kyuubi.**

Naruto beamed as he hugged his friend to point of cutting off his air supply , Sasuke growled.

"Naruto if you don't let go, I'm going to show you something far scarier than any demon" he wheezed.

Hinata just giggled as she watched the two. They really were like brothers and she was glad to know that maybe their secrets wouldn't change that.

Kakashi and Sarutobi all just chuckled at the scene.

Naruto finally released the now blue faced Sasuke still grinning.

Sasuke finally catching his breath looked around a moment.

"Alright is that all?" he asked as he placed his hands back in his pockets.

Before the Hokage could speak he heard Hinata speak up next to him.

She reached out again squeezing Naruto's hand with one of her hands while bringing her other hand to her lips in a nervous gesture.

"A-ano not e-exactly S-sasuke-kun...t-there's s-something I need to t-tell you "she managed in a soft voice.

Sarutobi traded a glance with Kakashi as he wondered to himself if he had told her or if like Naruto she had discovered it on her own.

Sasuke looked over at his shy teammate and actually smiled. "Take your time Hinata..." he said.

Naruto's eye twitched. 'Oh you tell me to get to it and tell Hinata to take her time...you...Teme' he thought to himself.

Hinata returned the smile shyly before she bit her lip. "N-Naruto-kun and I h-have the same b-burden. I-I didn't r-realize it until our m-mission in the wave...but I also hold a Bijuu, the two tailed Cat...The Nibi."she managed in a small voice.

Sasuke shook his head finally feeling an overload of information.

"I wasn't aware that there had ever been another demon in the Fire Country..this is a lot to absorb.."

"A-ano she t-tells me that her p-presence here has been kept quiet, I don't think many outside my clan know." Hinata said in a soft manner.

Sasuke just nodded as words left him for a moment as he tried to process everything he'd learned.

A long silence crept into the room before Sarutobi spoke again.

"Well Team 7 ,my intention was to call you together so that I could tell Hinata that she was a Jinchuriki, however it seems there is no need for that now. I won't keep you any longer. I would suggest that as a team you all take a week or so to yourselves before returning for another assignment...I don't think I need to, but as a precaution you should know this is a S rank secret, so I would ask that you use discretion and not speak of this to anyone else at the moment. You're dismissed"Sarutobi said before he took a deep puff from his pipe before exhaling.

* * *

Kakashi stopped outside the door before looking at the others.

"I believe Hokage-Sama is right, we'll take it easy for a week or so, however we'll still meet daily and commence with a new training regiment. I'll see you all tomorrow morning at seven " he said before offering an eyesmile as he disappeared amidst a swirl of leaves.

"Make that more like ten "Sasuke grunted as he put his hands in his pockets.

Sasuke nodded at Naruto and Hinata before speaking again. "Later you two " he said as he waved his hand before strolling down the hallway.

As Naruto and Hinata were left alone in the hallway there was an awkward silence. This was the first time the pair had been alone since their heart to heart on the bridge a few days prior and neither had brought it up since. Both had still held hands at times and shot one another gazes, but there hadn't been an opportune moment to discuss much on the way back home.

Hinata fidgeted slightly and flushed as she felt Naruto's cerulean gaze on her.

"Oi Hinata would you like to get some ramen with me ?" he asked smiling softly.

Hinata's lavender gaze met his warm blue eyes and she smiled shyly and prodded her fingers together.

"Y-you mean l-like a d-date ?" she asked timidly cursing her nerves.

Naruto's grin widened as he reached out and raised her chin so she was looking right at him.

"You betcha! I mean that is what boyfriends and girlfriends do right ? " he asked before pausing a moment as he looked a bit nervous.

"We are boyfriend and girlfriend ...aren't we ?" he asked somewhat frantic,his eyes showing concern as he looked her.

Hinata blushed brilliantly but nodded despite it.

"H-hai I'd love to Naruto-kun...and n-nothing would make me happier then to be Naruto-kun's g-girlfriend" she said barely stuttering as she summoned her courage as she took his hand into hers.

"Woohoo then I'll be the best boyfriend in the world ! Believe it "he exclaimed offering her a contagious smile.

She giggled and smiled at his enthusiasm.

Naruto squeezed her hand softly, before he turned and began to guide her towards the end of the hall.

"Come on Hinata we gotta book it, I've got several coupons for free ramen, but their only good for lunch and it's almost dinnertime" he exclaimed as he dragged his blushing date out of the Hokage Tower and through the streets leaving a trail of dust in his wake as he set a course for Ichikaru's.

* * *

Many hours later Hinata kept her gaze glued to the ground as she quietly strode through the gate that lead into the Hyuuga Estate. Most of Hinata's stance displayed her timidness however today not even her Clan, that looked down upon her could ruin nor take away the joy she felt. A small smile still graced her lips as she strode past several of her kinsmen , who only seemed to glare at her as she passed. Normally their stares would have caused her to feel a pang of hurt, however today their eyes held no power.

Hinata Hyuuga had finally summoned the courage to admit her own feelings to Naruto and what more the blonde she admired...no loved, felt the same way about her. She sighed happily as she opened the door to her bedroom before stepping inside.

She practically floated across the room before collapsing on her bed with the same smile still plastered on her face as she wrapped her arms around a pillow.

The young Kunoichi couldn't recall the last time she felt this happy, but she realized that with the joy she felt, there was a problem she couldn't ignore. Naruto and her new relationship had to remain a secret...at least for the moment. Between both of their tennets and her position in her clan, the pair realized they would have to take things slow and exercise discretion.

Despite this she sighed happily as she rubbed her cheek against the soft downy pillow as she imagined instead she was hugging a certain knuckle headed ninja. A blush stained her cheeks as her lids fluttered for a few moments before she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Hiashi cracked the door into his daughter's room as he intended to speak with her, however he stopped as he saw her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Hinata smile, she was always such a kind if not soft girl, though usually a sense of sadness surrounded her. He now realized more than ever that he had only added to her misery in a misguided attempt to make her strong. Seeing a smile on her angelic face made his eyes soften...she reminded him so much of his late wife.

The Clan Leader silently drifted across the room before he dipped down and brushed a few hairs from his daughter's face before kissing her brow. He offered a rare smile before he pulled the blanket over Hinata's shoulder and turned as he made his way to the door.

He stopped as he heard his daughter speak.

For a moment he thought she had awoken, but as he looked back he realized she was still very much asleep.

"Naruto-kun" she whispered again as she turned slightly hugging her pillow tighter.

A look of surprise played across Hiashi's face.

'The Kyuubi's container ? Could it be he is the reason for her happiness now?' he wondered as he reached the door and gripped the handle before looking back at his daughter.

'Hinata...I know I haven't always been there as I should, and for that I'm sorry...whether you know it or not...everything I do...is to keep you and Hanabi safe...maybe one day I can be father you deserve...and not the Clan Leader I must be for now...' his thoughts trailed off as he turned and made his way towards the door casting a single look over his shoulder, before he stepped back out into the hallway.

The same morning had started off rather uneventfully for team 7. Hinata and Sasuke had arrived early and now leaned against the railing of the bridge, as they awaited their two wayward Sensei's and a certain blonde knuckleheaded Ninja.

After their initial greeting, silence fell over the duo before it was finally broke by Sasuke who looked over at Hinata with a curious gaze.

* * *

"Hey Hinata can I ask you something...it's about your clan?"

The Heiress blinked as she shrugged her shoulders. "Ano...I guess what is it Sasuke?"

"With your tenant...if you're anything like Naruto I wonder does your clan take that out on you?"

Hinata's shoulders slumped slightly. "H-hai for one I'm not the 'ideal' heir. My sister is more confident...being a Jinchuriki only makes things worse, I don't see it often...but I think deep down my father does care about me." she murmured quietly.

"Your fortunate Hinata...back when my father was alive...he had only begun to acknowledge me, and that was only because..." he trailed off as his gaze shifted from her and towards the ground.

After a moment he felt a small hand on his shoulder.

He looked up seeing Hinata starring at him with a gaze filled with compassion.

"A-ano...I-I'm sorry Sasuke-kun I know n-nothing that I can say will m-make things better...but all of us...all of Team 7 are your f-family now..so you'll n-never have to be alone again"she said timidly as she offered him a kind smile.

Sasuke felt his cool demeanor slip a bit as he looked at the shy girl for a moment before he grunted. He couldn't put his finger on when it had happened, but his team had already managed to get past his barriers. Despite the fact he was an avenger and what he still intended to do...he was glad to have these new connections.

"Thanks Hinata-Imouto"he said before smirking at the shy girl.

Hinata giggled before she spoke again softly. "A-anytime Sasuke-Nii-san" she offered.

* * *

"OI WHERE is it ?" Naruto Cried as he dove under his bed searching frantically for something of great importance to him.

**"If you didn't live like a complete slob, you wouldn't lose things like this." grumbled the Fox as he grew weary of his container's antics.**

"Your not helping Fluffy...Grrr where can it be ? Gama-Chan where are you ?" Naruto screamed as anime tears fell from his eyes.

**"Do all mortals name their wallets or is that just something stupid only you do ?" **

"How should I know ? If you hadn't noticed we've lived alone from the get go...but Gama-Chan and my goggles are two of my most precious possessions...their two of my only possessions other than this jumpsuit." Naruto exclaimed as he opened the door to the fridge and looked inside.

**"Kit ?" The Fox asked in a deep rumbling tone.**

"Grr what Fox ?" Naruto asked exasperated.

**"Try your back pocket" grumbled the Fox before he fell silent.**

Naruto's eye twitched as he slipped into his hand into the back pocket of his pants and felt his trusty Gama-Chan there.

"Not a word" Naruto grumbled as he darted for the door forgetting his Jacket on his way out.

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi arrived at the Bridge at the same time and eyed one another as they looked from one another then over to Hinata and Sasuke.

Hinata seemed calm as she leaned against the railing with a small smile on her face and red tint on her cheeks as she looked at the approaching blonde.

Sasuke on the other hand seemed annoyed.

"Glad you two finally decided to show up...where have you been ?" Sasuke asked as crossed his arms.

Before Naruto could speak Kakashi beat him to the punch.

"Oh well you see Sasuke I would have been here early, however I ended up carrying an old lady's groceries halfway across the village and then after I left her home and was almost here I realized that I had misplaced my wallet somewhere so I had to retrace my steps till I found it."Kakashi offered with an eyesmile.

'That's probably the most sensible excuse he's given us so far' Sasuke and Hinata thought.

Naruto on the other hand face palmed. 'Why me ? No one will believe my excuse now' he thought to himself.

Sasuke grunted before looking over at Naruto.

"And what about you Idiot?" he asked narrowing his eyes.

Naruto sighed as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Um...I got lost on the road of life..." he said before laughing nervously.

"LIAR" Sasuke yelled as his eye twitched.

Kakashi who lazily studied his book put it away before speaking as he looked at Naruto.

"You really shouldn't lie Naruto." he said shaking his head.

'Is he serious?' Naruto wondered as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"A-ano Sensei...so what w-will we be doing for t-training today ?" Hinata asked softly.

Kakashi offered an eye smile before speaking. "Today we won't be training, I have something else that the three of you need to consider. "he said instantly gaining the attention of the trio as his demeanor grew more serious.

"In two weeks time the Leaf Village will be holding the Chunin Exams to test the merit of Genin throughout the different hidden villages to determine who is ready to take the next step and who requires more time and training. This test requires a great deal from each individual and teams as a whole. Having taken your progress so far into consideration and how well the three of you handled yourselves as of late, I'm recommending all three of you for the Chunin Exams. However it isn't my place to force you to take this test...each and everyone of you have to decide if your ready to face the hardest obstacle you've ever encountered...it won't be easy, that much I can guarantee. I want the three of you to give this some consideration and I'll expect an answer from you three tomorrow. We'll meet here tomorrow evening at six "He said offering an eye smile, before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"WOAH the Chunin Exams! If we could pass that I would be one step closer to Hokage" Naruto exclaimed as stars filled his eyes.

Hinata giggled while Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"We need to be serious Naruto...this isn't a game" Sasuke said as he shoved his hands back into his pockets.

Naruto pouted as he crossed his arms. "I know that, I'm just excited"he muttered as he looked at the ground.

Hinata blushed slightly as she touched Naruto shoulder. He looked up at her and grinned brilliantly showing that he wasn't really upset.

Sasuke grunted before speaking. "Look we'll have our work cut out for us...most Genin train at least a couple of years with their teams, before first attempting the Chunin Exams." Sasuke stated.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers saying nothing while Naruto didn't seem phased in the least.

"So what ...Maybe it won't be a walk in the park...but we kick ass and make a great team. If we stick together and work as a team no one can beat us." Naruto declared with an air of confidence.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but smirked. "You didn't have to convince me Idiot...I'm definitely in, this is the only way any of us will be able to show the results of our training and get stronger. " Sasuke said.

"Sounds good teme...Watcha think Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked as he looked his shy girlfriend.

Hinata's fidgeted slightly. "A-ano...I d-don't know ...I don't w-want to burden e-either of you and ruin your c-chances of advancing." she said softly as her eyes were downcast.

Sasuke just shook his head. "Hinata if anything your the most important member of our team." he said.

Hinata's eyes widened as she looked up at him surprised. "W-what?" she asked confused.

"Though I hate to admit it...your Taijutsu has an edge on mine and certainly on Naruto's and add to that the range of your Byakugan...we need you...we would be lost without you" he said simply before looking away.

Hinata felt tears threatening to spill over as she felt a hand grab hers.

"Sasuke is right Hinata-chan...your the best we wouldn't be Team 7 without you" Naruto said as he offered her a foxy smile.

Hinata began sniffling before she buried her head into Naruto's chest. "I'll do it" she mumbled into his chest.

"Eh what was that Hinata ?" Naruto asked as he slowly pried her away from his chest as he looked into her face.

"I-I'll do it" she said again softly while blushing.

"Eh still didn't catch what you said..." Naruto egged her on as he grinned at her.

"I"LL DO IT" she cried even surprising herself.

Naruto and Sasuke traded a look before chuckling.

"Alright now that we've decided...let's go to Ichikaru's...lunch is on me " Naruto exclaimed as he dragged Hinata forward and attempted to drag Sasuke with him.

"Forget it Naruto...I'll stick around for lunch and even pay for it...but you're eating something other than Ramen for a change." he groaned as he walked forward.

Naruto pouted as he followed hand in hand with Hinata.

"A-ano I'll make you some later N-naruto-kun" Hinata promised as she summoned her courage and leaned up and kissed the blonde quickly on the cheek.

Naruto pulled a Hinata as he blushed for a moment before recovering.

"Wooohoo Hina Ramen is the best" he exclaimed before covering his mouth as people began starring at him with scornful looks as he passed by.

'Smooth one idiot' Sasuke thought as he lead the group forward towards a small restaurant near the Hokage Tower.

What none of the group realized was the fact they were being watched the entire time from afar...

"How very interesting to think both Jinchuriki are on the same team and better yet seem to be very close..." a whisper could be heard from the trees as the hidden figure watched the Genin of Team 7 enter a small restaurant.

The Man adjusted his glasses as he studied a card held between his fingers for a moment before applying a bit of chakra.

"Excellent" he murmured to himself as he tucked away the card.

'I believe my Master will be most pleased to learn what I've discovered.' he thought to himself as a wicked smile spread across his face.

A few moments passed as he formed a simple handsign and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Half an hour passed before Hinata,Naruto, and Sasuke left the Restaurant.

"I'll see you both tomorrow evening."Sasuke said as he offered a simple wave before he strode off leaving the couple to themselves.

Hinata fidgeted slightly and blushed as Naruto eyes fixated on her.

"Oi Hinata-chan I wanna show you my favorite place...come on let's go" he exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and began to lead her through the streets with a renewed enthusiasm.

She giggled and blushed though her expression changed slightly when she saw the glares directed at the blonde and a few that seemed directed at her.

'Why are they so cruel ? Why can't they understand the difference between Naruto-kun and the Kyuubi' she wondered to herself as she bit her lip.

**"It's fear little one...they fear what Naruto represents to them...many of them see only the death of a love one that my Mate brought about that night and Naruto serves as a place to focus that anger or sadness. I know they are foolish...but try not to judge them too harshly, it's much easier for anyone to hate then to forgive and understand. Only through his actions and your own can these people be brought to see something more when they look at Naruto and you Kitten." the Nibi whispered.**

"Me?" Hinata asked quietly.

**"Yes...I'm afraid it won't be long till you're forced to share Naruto's burden...I get the feeling that soon my existence will no longer be a secret ."**

"A-aslong as I have N-naruto-kun I can deal with the rest...he's been the one thing that's kept me going all these years" she whispered.

**"Then keep him close and don't lose sight of that Kitten"**

"Oi Hinata-chan you there ?" Naruto asked as he stopped walking to look at his girlfriend with a look of worry.

"H-hai...sorry about that ." Hinata whispered before blushing slightly as she realized they were now standing in a park near the gate of the village.

"Is t-this your favorite spot N-naruto-kun ?" Hinata asked quickly hoping to change subjects as her lavender orbs looked into his sapphire gaze.

"Nah we're not there yet I just stopped when I noticed you had spaced ou" he was cut off by a yell to his side.

Naruto and Hinata turned to see a taller boy dressed in black with strange purple face paint harassing a young boy.

"You little punk, I think I should teach you some manners" the boy said as he reached out and picked the smaller boy up by his collar.

Naruto instantly bolted over with Hinata following not far behind.. "Konohamaru" Naruto yelled.

Konohamaru's eyes widened in relief when he saw Naruto approaching. "Boss" he squeaked.

The older boy turned to look at the approaching duo before laughing. "So this is your reinforcements kid ? pathetic" he stated.

"Let Konohamaru go or you'll regret it" Naruto growled as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh and what can you do to stop me ?" Kankuro asked before smirking at the blonde.

"If you can't think of a good reason my brother will end up beating you to a pulp" a female voice could be heard before a blond haired girl emerged from the trees with a smirk on her face. Across her back was a large fan and she looked to be at least a year older than Naruto or Hinata.

"You should listen to N-naruto-kun...Konohamaru-kun is the Third Hokage's g-grandson...when he finds out f-foreign ninja have been m-mistreating his grandson, he won't be happy" Hinata stammered in a soft voice.

"Heh these Leaf Ninja are pathetic first a snot nose brat, then a loudmouthed midget and a mouse of a girl...this will be too easy" he said before he dropped Konohamaru on his ass and smirked.

Konohamaru instantly bolted up and hid behind Naruto.

Hinata began looking at the ground as her insecurities began to eat at her.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm going to kick your ass " Naruto yelled as he cocked his fist back and prepared to spring forward to attack.

"W-wait N-naruto-kun...you can't attack them" Hinata whispered as she tugged at his pants leg.

"Huh why not ?" he asked as he still shot the older boy a baleful look.

"I-I'm sure their here for the Chunin Exams...and are c-considered the Leaf's g-guests so we can't a-attack them." she said softly.

"Your little mousy friend is right...anyone with common sense would have already put that together."the female said.

Naruto growled again as Hinata seemed to retreat further into herself as she prodded her fingers together never looked up at the pair in front of her.

"Enough Kankuro...Temari" A cold voice stated from the shadows of a nearby tree.

Both instantly froze before falling backwards as a red haired boy no taller than Naruto and around the same age approached from the treeline.

His build wasn't very imposing, nor even was his gourd strapped to his back... however his aqua blue eyes radiated hate and borderline madness. It seemed that even his two older comrades followed his lead.

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at the boy.

'What is this feeling...I've felt it before...when I look at this guy, I can see his pain...but something more than that.' Naruto thought.

"I am Gaara of the Sand those two fools you just met are my siblings...who are the two of you ?" He asked in an emotionless cold tone.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto said simply before he looked to see Hinata was still drawn into herself.

"And this is Hinata Hyuuga" he offered after a moment.

Hinata finally looked up at the boy and shivered slightly his gaze unnerving her.

"Interesting...I've never met any of my own kind before...and now I've met two of you...I will delight in spilling your blood soon." Gaara stated simply radiating a strong killer intent before he turned and began walking off.

Konohamaru was shaking as he looked at the retreating form of Gaara. "What was that guy boss?" he asked innocently.

Naruto gritted his teeth silently before he turned and offered Konohamaru a fake smile. "I don't know ...but I'll totally kick his butt " Naruto exclaimed before laughing.

"Alright Boss! I know you can do it" the young boy exclaimed excitedly.

"OH I gotta run or JiJi will kill me! Thanks again for your help boss" he added before he darted off leaving Naruto and Hinata alone again.

"Hinata-chan are you ok ?" Naruto whispered as he looked at her concerned.

Her lavender gaze looked at him a moment before she finally nodded weakly.

"H-hai I-I'm sorry I'm so w-weak all the t-time " she said sadly.

"Hinata your not weak at all, you can totally kick my butt and I'm going to be the next Hokage so that makes you like even better than that" he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

Hinata giggled before she leaned into him and hugged him awkwardly. "T-thankyou Narutp-kun ...I n-needed that" she whispered softly.

"Hehe anytime Hinata-chan...now come on I still want to show you my favorite spot in the whole village." he said before he took her hand and began gently guiding her towards the Hokage Mountain...

Naruto sat on the Fourth Hokage's head with a lopsided grin on his face as he gazed down into the village. Hinata had a shy, but happy smile on her face as she leaned against the blonde's shoulder.

"Hey Hinata-chan?" he asked after a moment as he looked over at his shy girlfriend.

"H-hai N-naruto-kun ?" She responded after a moment as she looked up into his cerulean gaze.

"I was wondering ...how long have you well ya know liked...I mean loved me ?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he smiled at her.

Hinata's face grew serious as she closed her eyes a moment and took a breath. After a moment her lavender eyes reopened slowly and she began to speak in an even voice that was almost void of her normal stutter.

"W-when I was just a young girl...I began watching you...you amazed me. No matter what anyone told you...no matter what someone said to try and break your determination it only seemed to make you try harder. For s-someone like me...I saw hope...I've never been a prodigy like my cousin Neji or even as talented as my little sister. It started off as a-admiration...but you fascinated me...you were so determined and different than anyone else. When everyone else watched Sasuke-kun... I only wanted to watch you...and eventually I w-wanted to make you watch me, but I was...I'm just too shy." She said pausing a moment before continuing for Naruto could speak.

"W-when I saw your pain...your loneliness I wanted to make it go away...I wanted to approach you ...tell you how I felt...that I wanted to be your friend...more than that, but I was just too weak" she said her voice wavering as her gaze lowered.

Naruto felt his face grow hot as he looked at Hinata in amazement. He had never been complimented or felt this special ever. "Y-you never had a fever around me...or were allergic to me...and you weren't weird at all... you were just embarrassed because you cared about me and were just too shy to say it." he stated in realization.

Hinata nodded simply as she began twiddling with her fingers. "I-I wanted to tell you so badly...but every time I lost my nerve at the last moment...I-I even once left you a birthday present at your apartment...I was going to give it to you in person...but I just couldn't" she stammered.

Naruto felt a lump in his throat as he looked at her, once again his heart had begun to race. He slowly reached into his jumpsuit wrapping his fingers around his goggles.

"Hinata-chan...you were the one who left those goggles for me on my birthday weren't you?" he whispered as he reached out and took one of her hands.

Hinata looked up at him and smiled sadly before nodding.

"Arigato...JiJi used to do a lot for me and even took me out for Ramen occasionally...but that was the first birthday...that I received a gift from anyone. I was so use to hiding on my birthday...when I first found the box on my doorstep, I was afraid it was a trap. It was one of the happiest days of my life...I thought that someone out there cared." he said as he offered her a sincere smile.

Hinata blushed before biting her lip.

"I"m sorry I was so weak..." she said.

"Hina-chan there's nothing to apologize for ...even though I didn't realize it at the time...you were watching out for me...and you are very special to me. You've become my first bond...and I believe in you. I know how strong you are and I know that with Sasuke's help we'll ace this exam." he declared with a foxy grin before he pulled her into a tight hug.

"H-hai together" she said as confidently as she could muster before her face blazed redder than any tomato when Naruto kissed her cheek.

Naruto laughed at his blushing girlfriend. "Oi come on let's go Hinata-chan we've been up here a while and it's already dark" he exclaimed as he stood up and held out his hand.

Hinata smiled shyly as she took his hand "H-hai Naru-kun" she said as she reached out and took his hand.

* * *

Miles away a dimly lit cavern concealed a threat Konoha had not dealt with in years...

"How fared your research Kabuto-kun?" A voice purred a few feet away.

Kabuto smirked as he adjusted his glasses slightly before speaking.

"Excellent Master...it seems that both of the Jinchuriki from the leaf and Sasuke Uchiha will in fact be entering the upcoming Chunin Exams." he stated as he reached into his jacket.

"Ah a perfect opportunity then.." he mused aloud.

Kabuto cleared his throat as he pulled one of his many cards out.

"Sasuke seems to have a great amount of potential, though it seems he has yet to unlock the Sharingan." he stated.

"Excellent...then it seems that I have two new prospects." Orochimaru said as his tongue slipped out of mouth and licked his lips.

"Two Master ?" Kabuto asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes... little Sasuke-kun should he unlock his Sharingan would be a excellent candidate and what better way to get my revenge on Itachi then by using his own brother's body and the Sharingan Kukuku" he laughed.

"Whom else has caught your eye then Master?" Kabuto asked as he peered down at the cards in his hands.

"Hinata Hyuuga...heiress of the Hyuuga Clan...possessor of the Byakugun and holder of the two tailed Nibi. The Akatsuki intend to use both Jinchuriki for their own purposes. Perhaps I'll give Hinata-chan a gift...or maybe I should simply kill her to spite the Akatsuki...I guess I shall see how interesting she proves to be.." he mused as he licked his lips slowly.

Kabuto inclined his head. "I see and what would you have me do until then Master?" he asked before again readjusting his glasses.

"Keep close tabs on all of them and if the chance presents itself...get close to the Genin and earn their trust...it will prove useful." Orochimaru said before he again licked his lips.

"Very well Master...I will not fail you" Kabuto said as he offered a deep bow before disappearing from sight.


	8. Chapter 8

The Next Two weeks passed swiftly for the Genin of Konoha.

Each member of the newly minted Genin Teams had elected to take the fast approaching Chunin Exams.

As for the members of Team 7, Kakashi had spent the last two weeks on drilling more and more fundamentals into the trio, with teamwork being the main priority.

Finally the day many of the Genin from all over, anticipated had arrived.

The Sun broke across the horizon signaling the beginning of the day...the day in which the first portion of the Chunin Exams would commence...

* * *

"I hate Genjutsu" Naruto muttered as he crossed his arms as he walked side by side with Hinata and Sasuke through the school towards the testing room for the first phase of the Chunin Exams.

"You really have no talent for Genjutsu do you ?" Sasuke asked rolling his eyes but smirking.

"No and who needs it" Naruto exclaimed pouting slightly before Hinata touched his shoulder.

"A-ano that's what we're for N-naruto-kun...to help you as a t-team." Hinata said softly offering the blonde a kind smile.

Naruto couldn't help but beam and Sasuke allowed a small smile.

"Alright we need to keep a low profile when we get there...if what we were told is right, then we'll be targeted by the older more experienced genin...it would be best for us to not reveal too much early on " Sasuke said as he began to climb the stairs.

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a look and began to follow suit before a voice called out from behind them.

"Sasuke Uchiha"

Sasuke and the rest of Team 7 turned to see the boy who had spoken was around their age with a bowl cut, a green jumpsuit, and very thick eye brows. Behind him several feet stood a girl with her hair tied into two buns, a Chinese style shirt, and a large scroll on her back. Beside her stood a boy both Hinata and Naruto recognized immediately. His intense cold pupil-less eyes seemed to glare hatefully at Hinata.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked simply as he pushed his hands into his pockets and looked rather bored as he studied the strange boy.

"I wish to test myself against you before the Exams begin...I am Rock Lee and I would very much like to have a duel against you and test the strength of the Uchiha prodigy against my own training." the boy stated with a great amount of enthusiasm.

Naruto pouted feeling somewhat left out though his attention drifted to Neji who still glared at Hinata who was now greatly withdrawn starring at the ground and fiddling with her fingers.

"OI Sasuke what about us keeping a low profile?" Naruto asked as he could see the fire in Sasuke's eyes.

"Well we could always go for another approach...Rock Lee,TenTen, and Neji Hyuuga graduated a year before us. Defeating any of them could send a message to anyone who thinks they can take advantage of us...and plus I want to test myself."Sasuke said before smirking.

Naruto huffed before he looked over at Hinata and gritted his teeth. 'I'm seriously going to knock Neji's block off' he thought to himself.

"Alright what are your terms ?"Sasuke asked finally as he stepped forward.

"We'll follow Academy restrictions and avoid any killing blows...but this will only be a Taijutsu match...no genjutsu or ninjutsu."Lee stated.

Sasuke paused for only a moment. "Fine lead the way" he stated.

Several minutes later Sasuke and Lee found themselves standing across from one another in an empty training room. Hinata and Naruto and Neji and TenTen stood well away watching for the duo to began. Well the more appropriate description was that TenTen was watching the fight, while Neji continued to glare at Hinata, while Naruto continued to seethe silently vowing to keep his cool until Neji said something.

"Sasuke Uchiha I will show you first hand that with hardwork a no talented Ninja can overcome a prodigy. Then I will earn Sakura-Chan's affections" he declared before giving Sasuke's a the nice guy pose.

Sasuke sweat dropped. "Can we just get this started...we don't have all day" he groaned as he took a basic taijtusu stance as Lee took a much more complex stance.

With a blur of movement the pair set off trading blow for blow.

Within the first couple of exchanges Sasuke quickly discovered that Lee had the edge in strength and speed. Still not having his Sharingan it would only be a matter of time until he was defeated. He realized too late he had underestimated his opponent...

Back on the sidelines Neji's eyes narrowed as he finally spoke.

"Hinata-Sama it seems you still are as pampered and weak as ever. The way you hold yourself tells me everything I need to know. What I can't fathom is why you fight destiny and bother attending these exams...surely you realize you will only hinder your teammates."Neji said as his cold eyes bore into Hinata who said nothing but flinched as if she had been struck.

Naruto growled as he stepped in front of Hinata protectively his demeanor was livid as his eyes were still blue however his pupil possessed a predatorial slit at the moment.

"Neji I don't know what the hell your problem is...but I swear if you don't shut up I'm going to pull that six foot pole out of your ass and beat the crap out of you with it." Naruto said as he clenched his fist.

Hinata's mouth fell open as she looked up seeing Naruto standing up for her.

TenTen turned away from the fight and looked on in amazement at the Blonde. Part of her was terrified for the boy thinking he was picking a fight he had no chance of winning, but a part of her was amused...no one had ever talked to Neji like this before.

"Uzumaki your even more pathetic then my Cousin...after the last time we met and you claimed you would prove me wrong I wasted a bit of time looking into you...your nothing more than a deadlast who failed the academy multiple times. In fact I pity the Uchiha...as he seems to be the only worth while Ninja on your Team. You should simply accept your fate...you will never become Hokage and you will only serve as stepping stone for someone else's rise." he said smirking as he watched the blonde seem to reel from his words.

"You know what I say is true...and know you must accept that a failure will always be a f-" he was cut off by a resounding slap that could even be heard throughout the room.

There was a moment of silence on the sidelines as it took that long to process what had happened.

Hinata now stood in front of Naruto with her palm outstretched shaking violently as tears filled her eyes.

"N-Nii-san you c-can demean me...c-call me w-weak ...maybe your right, but I won't let you... speak badly of N-naruto-kun...I-I won't allow it." she said shakily as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Naruto looked on in awe.

'Hinata...that asshole may not see it...but you've grown.' he thought to himself.

Neji's Byakugan flared as he reared his hand back before a voice stopped him.

"Neji enough."

A man that literally looked like a taller Rock Lee landed a few feet from the four.

"This is most unyouthful Neji...now you and TenTen head to the testing room and may the fires of youth be with you both." he exclaimed before giving the nice guy pose.

Neji's eyes still narrowed dangerously as he looked at Hinata.

"As you wish Sensei...Hinata-Sama...this is far from over...I will remind you of your place soon." he said before he turned on heel and made his way from the room.

TenTen groaned as she followed suit. "Come on Lee" She yelled.

Naruto and Hinata turned to see Sasuke and Lee heading towards them with Kakashi following behind them.

Lee offered a friendly smile before dashing off after his team.

As Sasuke approached Hinata and Naruto he grunted.

"Please tell me the two of you didn't see that..." he deadpanned.

"Nope" Naruto laughed sheepishly.

Hinata shook her head but was silent as she still lingered on what she had done and Neji's last words to her.

"Good...that guy was something else...if there are more like him...we'll have to pull out all the stops just to survive." Sasuke groaned.

"Well for starters the three of you could get to the test room before your disqualified before being late." Kakashi said as he appeared directly behind them and offered an eye smile.

Needless to say this spurred the trio to move at a new found speed...

A few minutes later Team 7 walked into the testing room to find most of the other Genin already seated awaiting the proctor of the first exam.

"Heh I told you that was them Shino " Kiba said as he waved at the approaching genin.

"Bout time you guys showed up...was wondering if you'd thrown in the towel." he chuckled showing his fangs as Akamaru chirped in with an excited bark.

"Not a chance dogbreath" Naruto countered with a grin.

"Kiba do you have to be so loud ?" Shino asked as he looked over at the boy beside him with a quirked eyebrow.

"You know Kiba he can't sit quiet for long"Sakura said as she turned and offered a friendly smile and wave towards Team 7 her eyes stopping on Sasuke a moment longer than the other two.

"Stop eye-humping Sasuke-kun forehead" Ino said from across the aisle.

"Shut it Ino-Pig" Sakura yelled as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Troublesome women" Shikamaru murmured. He like Ino didn't seem much different, save the fact he seemed to have put on perhaps 10 pounds of lean muscle since he'd become a genin, something in which he hadn't done voluntarily.

Of course Choji looked almost the same as the academy as he sat with his hand buried into a bag of chips.

The back and forth between Ino and Sakura only grew louder until someone else spoke up momentarily silencing the pair.

"The Lot of you should really quiet down...your drawing too much attention to yourselves." an older boy with grey silver hair said as he strode past Team 7. He bore a leaf headband but looked several years older then the rest of the rookie 9.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi, A word of wisdom the Exams really began well before this first exam...I've learned that through multiple attempts" he said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Huh what do you mean ?" Naruto asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Everyone in this room is sizing up one another and those of you who are fresh genin are prime targets for the older more experienced Ninja here. " he said as he offered a warm smile to the genin around him.

Several of the Rookie 9 tensed at this while Sasuke seemed fairly unphased.

"If you've been here multiple times...is there anything you can tell us that could help ?" he asked quirking an eyebrow.

Kabuto smiled. "Yes in fact I have cards with a great deal of information on most of the Ninja attending this Exam, is there anyone in particular any of you wish to know of." he said lowering his voice slightly so that only those standing fairly close to him could hear.

"Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga" Sasuke stated without hesitation.

Kabuto extracted two cards and applied chakra to each as he studied them.

"Let's see...both Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga are on the same team. Rock Lee is a Taijutsu specialist that has no apparent talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu so it seems all of his training is poured into furthering his understanding of the strong fist style. As for Neji Hyuuga he is last year's rookie of the year. In addition Neji is labeled by many as the greatest prodigy the Hyuuga clan has ever produced, his understanding of the gentle fist style combined with the fabled Byakugan makes him a top competitor for this years exam...many expect he will certainly make the finals." Kabuto said.

Sasuke nodded pleased with the bit of information.

"Anyone else?" Kabuto inquired with a smile.

"Gaara of the Sand" Naruto said drawing some looks from the other leaf Ninja save Hinata.

"Hmmm well it seems there is very little ...it seems however he has already accomplished several Rank A missions and apparently has never received an injury in the process." Kabuto stated.

'Impossible' several of the surrounding genin thought before a loud commotion grabbed their attention. Three Ninja wearing headbands with a symbol for sound appeared behind Kabuto and one of the three who was almost completely covered in bandages struck Kabuto with his gauntlet which reverberated through the room and in the process cracked Kabuto's glasses.

"I believe that is enough out of you" the covered genin said as he eyed the prone Kabuto that Naruto and Hinata slowly helped to his feet.

'So much for a low profile' Sasuke mused to himself.

Before the altercation could elevate a booming voice from the front of the room could be heard.

"Take your seats immediately... the first Exam is about to begin" he declared.

Those who still stood quickly found their places and awaited the instructions for the First Exam...

Naruto looked at the test before him in horror, he had actually listened to Ibiki's explanation and knew if he screwed this up that Hinata and Sasuke would pay the price. He groaned for the umpteenth time as he face planted the desk.

'I'm so screwed' he thought glumly to himself.

What Naruto failed to realize was that this test actually encouraged cheating to test a Ninja's capability of gathering information without being detected.

He raised his head when he heard a small voice beside him.

"N-Naruto-kun...you can copy my test if you want" Hinata stammered quietly her eyes never leaving the paper that she had scooted slightly towards the blonde.

Naruto shook his head. "No way Hinata...I don't want you to get in trouble because of me...don't worry I've got this in the bag" he whispered before he looked back at his paper.

'I say that but I don't have a clue what any of this crap is' he thought before he took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry guys' he thought as he began to space out as he listened as one by one countless individuals were caught cheating and asked to leave the room.

Finally Ibiki's room filled the room as he addressed the remaining genin.

"For those of you who remain...there is one final question...the 10th question." Ibiki states ominously.

The remaining genin seem to visibly tense as Ibiki continues to speak.

"I will give you all a chance to decide for yourselves if your ready for the 10th question, those of you who decide to back out will fail and as a result your entire team will fail with you, but you can attempt the Chunin Exams again. For those of you who answer the 10th question and fail...will not only fail...but will remain Genin forever. Choose now." he barked.

Several genin immediately stood deciding to bow out in order to save their teams future chances.

Sasuke tensed as he looked down at Naruto and Hinata.

Hinata's hand quivered as she was considering raising her hand however before she could Naruto's hand shot up surprising many of the Rookie 9 that saw him. However he immediately slammed his hand down on the desk before standing up.

"I've come too far now to back down...no matter the result I won't back down...me and my team will see this exam through till the end Believe it." he declared as a fiery determination could be seen in his eyes.

Hinata smiled softly as she felt he confidence bolstered and Sasuke actually smiled as well.

'You big idiot...you tell me to not make a scene earlier and then you go and make one yourself...though you're right...there's no going back now' Sasuke thought

Those who remained in the room seemed to feel a renewed confidence as well from the blonde's outburst as no one else stood up.

Ibiki hid a smile as he studied the entire room for a moment before clearing his voice.

"Very well then...I have no choice then... but to pass you all" he said.

"What?"Temari cried as she stood up clearly confused.

"What was the tenth question then?" Kiba asked.

Several others seemed happy if not confused by this twist.

"The truth is ...there is no 10th question...the entire point of this first portion is to put heavy pressure on all of you to see which of you are truly ready. If your not willing to put everything on the line...then your not ready to be Chunin, in addition this test was not designed for a genin to be able to answer these degree of questions. Many of you may have noticed that sitting amongst you are chunin who have answered their tests...your objective was to cheat without being caught...it is a scenario you would face on various missions, when your objective is to gather information without being caught in the process. Shinobi missions are always risky, courage and confidence are required as Chunin must hold to their decisions..." before Ibiki could say anything further a window shattered as a woman leaped into the room.

She wore a tan overcoat, complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretched from her neck down to her thighs. In addition she wore a dark orange mini-skirt, as well as a forehead protector,and shin guards. She had light brown pupil-less eyes and her violet hair was pulled back into a spiky ponytail.

"Wow Ibiki looks like your losing your touch...there's a lot more then I expected...don't worry though there will be less then half left when I'm done." she announced.

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "You could have just used the door...their all yours" he muttered.

"Alright Maggots my name is Anko Mitarashi and I'm the proctor of the second exam...I expect to see all of you maggots outside the Forest of Death within one hour...or you'll be failed immediately." she said as she offered a cheeky grin to her team before vanishing in a poof of smoke.

"That woman is kind of crazy, but she does have a sense of style." Ino said sincerely.

"You mean troublesome, though probably not half as troublesome as you."Shikamaru muttered the last part to himself.

"What was that Lazy ass?" Ino yelled from her seat.

Following Anko's instructions the remaining genin stood up and began making their way to the door wanting to ensure that they didn't keep the Snake Mistress waiting.

As the room was finally empty Ibiki began looking over the papers, stopping at Naruto's.

'Heh I passed a kid who failed to answer a single question...but he certainly is interesting' he mused to himself.

'Naruto Uzumaki huh ? I look forward to seeing if he can back up that little speech or not' he thought as he wondered how much Anko would torture the remaining genin.

* * *

Naruto wiped the blood off of his cheek as he scooted away from the 'crazy snake lady' and back over to his team.

"Oi what a nut job" he muttered as he looked at the release form papers in his hands.

Hinata just giggled softly as she studied the papers in her hands nervously.

Sasuke smirked "Alright enough joking around...we need to make a plan for when we get inside the Forest of Death." he said as he crossed his arms.

"Eh what do you mean ?" Naruto asked scratching the back of his head.

Sasuke groaned. "We need to decide how we're going to approach this beforehand...if each of these other teams are receiving scrolls...it's logical to assume half of the teams will receive heaven scrolls and the other half will receive earth scrolls. We need to think of the best way to get what we need and get to that tower, as quickly as possible." he said.

"A-ano...maybe we could join forces with another leaf t-team " Hinata suggested quietly.

Sasuke quirked a brow as he scratched his chin in thought.

"Oi I'm with Hinata-chan...think of it Sasuke, together we could get to that tower unscathed ." Naruto said with a grin.

Hinata blushed faintly having received a compliment from her boyfriend.

"Alright fine...but we need to make sure whoever we try to work with can be trusted...Leaf or not, there's no guarantee that in that forest former comrades won't turn against each other." he said with a serious expression.

Naruto frowned but nodded while Hinata fidgeted slightly before speaking again.

"S-sasuke-kun I think we can trust t-team 8 " she said as she glanced over at Kiba,Sakura, and Shino that stood about thirty feet away.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah...I think your right...I'm going to go talk to them before this begins...since we'll be beginning from a different gate we can use your Byakugan or perhaps Kiba and Shino's abilities to find one another early on." he stated as he stuck his hands in his pockets before he began to approach team 8.

While Sasuke approached Team 8, Hinata and Naruto were left standing by themselves.

Naruto sensing Hinata's uneasiness reached out and grabbed her hand before offering a gentle squeeze.

A blush tinted Hinata's cheeks as she looked up into Naruto's cerulean gaze.

"N-naruto-kun?" she questioned her lavender eyes showed uncertainty.

"Everything is going to be just fine Hinata-chan! Believe it " he exclaimed as he gave her his foxiest grin.

Hinata relaxed slightly as she offered Naruto a small smile before squeezing his hand in return.

"Hai" she said softly.

A moment of silence fell between the pair before Hinata felt a shiver go down her spine. She turned to look over her shoulder as she bit her lip nervously.

'What was that feeling...it felt so cold..'she thought to herself before she heard a voice bring her back to reality.

"Earth to Hinata-chan ...you ok ?" Naruto asked as he once again invaded her personal space as she turned to face him she found her face but inches from his.

"I-I'm f-fine...b-but N-naruto-kun is so c-close" she stammered as she blushed furiously.

"Oh hehe sorry about that Hinata-chan,I forget how foxy you think I am " Naruto chuckled as scratched the back of his head and winked at her before pulling away.

Hinata only blushed more as she fidgeted with her fingers and stammered out an unintelligible response.

"Alright you two enough fooling around...it's time to go" Sasuke stated as approached the duo again with his hands still in his pockets.

As the pair looked up they noticed that many of the other teams were mobilizing to their respective gates.

"Wooohoo alright let's go" Naruto cheered.

Hinata smiled as she restrained herself from giggling at the blonde's enthusiasm.

"Pipe down Idiot... if your that loud when we're in the forest, you'll give away our position." Sasuke chastised as he shot the blonde a serious look.

Naruto pouted but said nothing further as he crossed his arms and followed behind Sasuke towards their respective gate.

"A-ano Sasuke-kun...will we be w-working with Team 8?" Hinata asked softly as they neared the closed gate.

Sasuke looked over at Hinata and nodded. "Yeah...Shino left one of his bugs with me...so he should have no problem finding us once we get inside and if all else fails Kiba's nose and your Byakugan should make it fairly easy for us to find one another. Let's hope joining forces isn't a mistake." he stated.

Hinata smiled and nodded slightly.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head in boredom as he stared at the closed gate.

Several more minutes passed before finally each of the gates fell simultaneously and Team 7 like many of the other genin teams stepped into the unknown...


	9. Chapter 9

"Oi why do you think they call this the Forest of Death ?" Naruto whispered as he and the rest of Team 7 leapt from tree to tree.

Sasuke grunted. "I think that's one question that we should avoid finding the answer to." he commented as he scanned the treeline carefully.

Naruto gulped but nodded vigorously.

Hinata remained silent as her Byakugan studied their surroundings carefully. She hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary yet, however she had the strangest feeling that she was being watched and it made her feel nervous and uneasy.

"Here..." Sasuke stated as he leaped down into a dense section of the forest...he slowly pushed back several layers of foliage.

"Perfect" he whispered as he stepped forward and pointed towards an enormous tree the base of which had a large hollowed out section that was hidden by the surrounding foliage and from the treetops above.

"Eh perfect for what ?" Naruto asked as he scratched his whiskered cheeks.

Sasuke shook his head as he strode into the hollowed out tree before gesturing for the duo to follow him.

"Shino will be tracking me thanks to his beetle here" he said as he extended his pointer finger before making his way further into the tree.

"Instead of moving further into the Forest we should set up a base camp here and wait for Team 8." Sasuke stated.

"H-hai that m-makes sense" Hinata said softly as she followed behind Sasuke and took a seat on the floor.

"Shouldn't we be more focused on getting to that tower and getting a scroll ?" Naruto asked pouting slightly.

"That is our main objective...but stop and think about it for a moment Naruto...if everyone had the same idea as you this Forest will soon turn into a war zone. This is far more than getting a scroll and getting to that tower...there is a reason why we are given 5 days to get to the central tower...we could cover that distance even with the perils within half a day or so...but we need to think of our survival." Sasuke said as he leaned against the far wall of the inside of the tree.

"W-what I think Sasuke-kun means ...is that by taking a more c-careful approach we can make it out of this p-portion of the Exam better than if we raced towards the tower and into b-battle. S-since we don't know what to expect with the other t-teams and when we g-get to the tower, we s-should make sure to be at our b-best, while many of the other t-teams will l-likely be exhausted." she said softly before offering the blonde a shy smile.

Sasuke nodded an affirmative.

Naruto's face scrunched up as he nodded before he looked over at Sasuke. "See Teme why did you have to make your explanation so confusing?" he asked.

Sasuke's eye twitched as he glared at the blonde. "I don't know Naruto...I guess Hinata is just more patient when it comes to dealing with MORONS."

The Atmosphere inside the tree grew tense as the pair stared unblinkingly at one another as lightening flew from each of their eyes in a very intense stare down.

"A-ano" Hinata stammered as she put a hand on each of the boy's chests hoping to dissolve their bickering before it got any worse.

"Jeez...you two trying to give away your position? Save some of that for the other teams." Kiba exclaimed as he strode forward till he was standing just outside the hollowed tree with Sakura and Shino directly behind him.

"Kiba-kun,Shino-kun,Sakura-san" Hinata said softly as she smiled shyly at the trio.

Shino nodded his head towards the trio while Sakura grinned.

Sasuke turned his attention to the trio as he crossed his arms. "Well that was fast...I guess that beetle did the trick, but first what is a Leaf Ninja's greatest strength ?" He asked as he moved in front of Hinata and Naruto not in a particularly defensive position but slightly guarded.

Shino adjusted his glasses. " The Will of Fire" he replied simply.

Sasuke relaxed. "Sorry for being on edge...but I'm not willing to take any chances." he said.

The rest of the genin traded a look.

"What was that all about ?" Kiba asked as the entirety of team 8 made their way into the tree and took a seat next to the members of team 7.

"Sasuke-san and I discussed the need for a password for when our teams met up, though the chances were unlikely that either of us were being deceived it wouldn't be impossible considering the unknowns we're dealing with in this Exam." he said.

"Woah...I think that's the most I've ever heard you speak Shino." Naruto commented with wide eyes.

"The bad thing is I think I can say the same thing." Sakura said before giggling and slapping Shino playfully on the back who in return shot her a dirty look.

"Heh I don't know Shino seems to do a lot of talking to that chick at the ramen stand." Kiba said before offering his friend a toothy smirk.

"Kiba...unless you wish for me to introduce you and Akamaru to some fleas...shut up" he said in a cold emotionless voice.

Naruto shivered. 'Woah who knew Shino could be so scary' he thought to himself.

A moment of silence filled the group before Sasuke spoke finally.

"Alright so first of all we need to decide how we go about this...our team has an earth scroll." Sasuke stated.

Shino nodded before speaking. "And we possess the heaven scroll" he replied.

"Perfect...then we can help one another without having to worry about who gets the first scroll we find." Sakura said.

Sasuke laced his hands before nodding. "Your right...this way we can help one another without competing with each other during this portion of the exam." he said.

"So what's the point of meeting here in this tree?" Kiba asked as Akamaru offered a bark as well.

"Simple we don't want to get caught in the initial conflicts going on...I think we should wait till nightfall and then split up into three groups. Two people for each of the groups, with two of the groups searching different parts of the forest for teams with scrolls, essentially scouting for now while two of us remain here at base camp guarding our scrolls." Sasuke stated.

"Why should we leave our scrolls behind here ?" Kiba asked.

"Correct me if I'm mistaken...but by doing so even if our scouting teams are compromised and caught, we won't forfeit anything as a unit...Is that right Sasuke-san ?" Shino asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Right...I say since the gates we entered were towards the south side we send our two scouting teams to the east and west for now, avoiding going too far towards the Tower." he said.

"That is if there are no objections." he added after a moment.

As silence fell over the group Sasuke took that as a signal to continue.

"Alright now we just need to decide the teams." Sasuke said as he looked around at everyone.

"Sasuke-kun...I think that Kiba and Shino should be split between the two scouting teams with you and I going with one of them. " Sakura said hoping her crush wouldn't reject the idea.

Sasuke seemed to consider the idea , as Naruto leaned back with his hands behind his head and pouted.

"Eh what about Hinata-chan and me Sakura-chan? " he asked with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"Yeah why not have Hinata with one of the scouting teams...her Byakugan would be the most effective way to find other teams?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Sakura.

"Well...what I was thinking is...if Hinata's vision is so strong she could literally see anyone approaching this basecamp well before they get here...if she were to remain here it would be nearly impossible for someone to catch her off guard and it would mean our scrolls left here would be safe...and well for Naruto...he's better suited for combat rather than stealth or information gathering...so if someone does find this place his he can help Hinata keep our scrolls safe, until we can return to help. " she suggested feeling a bit unsure of herself as everyone stared at her.

Naruto muttered to himself before Hinata lightly placed a hand on his shoulder causing the blonde to brighten considerably before offering her a grin.

"I actually like that idea Sakura...it makes sense and seems to cover our bases...but my only question is how will we know if one of the groups are in trouble ?" Sasuke asked as his charcoal gaze looked around the group.

"I can answer that...I will give each of you one of my beetles...should there be a problem simply apply some chakra and I will have no problem finding you." Shino stated.

"Alright...I guess we have a plan then...we wait till midnight then we set out...should we not find anything before dawn we will double back to camp. " Sasuke said.

"Kiba you should go with Sasuke-san and Sakura can accompany me." Shino suggested.

Naruto began to drown out the rest of the details as he leaned near Hinata and whispered.

"Eh Hinata-chan I guess that means it's just you and me alone tonight?" He said with a foxy grin.

'A-alone with N-naruto-kun...all night...b-but it's too soon' she thought as she blushed madly before fainting dead in his arms.

'Eh was it something I said ?' he wondered to himself as she shifted her slightly in his arms never noticing where one of his hands was placed...

'Kit your so dense...' the Kyuubi said in a lazy tone.

As Naruto looked away from the unconscious Hinata he saw the other four starring at him with looks ranging from annoyance...to surprise..and even amusement.

"Wow Naruto guess you finally figured it out...your moving pretty fast though" Kiba howled in laughter.

Naruto blinked in confusion . "Eh what's so funny?" he asked.

Sasuke just groaned while Sakura stood up her expression livid as she stomped towards the blonde.

"NARUTO why is your hand THERE?" she seethed as raised her fist into the air.

Naruto began shaking in terror before he looked down to see what he had done wrong. His face flushed redder then Hinata could ever imagine as he realized exactly what that soft ample flesh was under his hand. He immediately moved his hand away from her chest as his heart hammered a mile a second as he looked up in horror at at Sakura.

"S-Sakura-chan...it was an accident...I-I would n-never grab Hinata-chan... t-there...ok well that's not true...but I wouldn't do it w-without her p-permission...I mean...Oi I'm not a perv like JiJi believe it."he cried as he closed his eyes ready to embrace the beating that was in store for him.

"Should we try and help him ?"Kiba asked.

Sasuke just shook his head sadly while Shino adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"Unfortunately for Naruto-san...there is no escaping Sakura's wrath when she's like this."Shino stated as he and the other boy's tried to tune out the screams of pure terror coming from Naruto.

* * *

Midnight had arrived only minutes prior leaving only Naruto and Hinata behind in the hollowed out tree. Silence had prevailed over the duo as Hinata's attention remained focused on the nearby radius that surrounded their position, while Naruto despite himself kept losing his focus as he quickly grew bored of his assignment.

"Hey Hinnnaaa-channnn do you see anything ?"Naruto asked as he drawled her name enjoying the way it sounded.

Hinata giggled and shook her head . "N-no just a lot of trees and a-animals" she whispered.

Naruto began squirming. "Phew that's a relief...cus I really gotta go.. if ya know what I mean" he said as grinned at Hinata who in turned blushed beat red.

"H-Hai..ano ...N-naruto-kun?" she whispered.

"Hmmm?" he asked as he began stand up.

"C-can y-you go a bit away from here ...to do it ?" she asked as she fidgeted and blushed.

Naruto gave a confused look . "Eh why ?" he asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"A-ano if your within my range...I can see you...and I-I don't w-want to i-intrude" She stammered.

Naruto eyes widened. "That's really considerate of you Hinata-chan...It's a good thing your not pervy like JiJi, or you could really use those eyes of yours for some pervy things." he said grinning before he leaned down and kissed Hinata on the cheek, before making his way out of the tree with his legs clenched together.

Hinata was still red as a tomato as she watched Naruto comically move through the underbrush.

Her thoughts slowly drifted back to remaining alert, though no matter what she tried she couldn't help, but shake an uneasy feeling. Her eyes detected nothing out of the ordinary...other than her love relieving himself nearly a mile away...the sight of his male anatomy caused her entire face to glow a hot red color, she nearly fainted dead on the spot.

'Apparently Naruto doesn't know how strong your Byakugan is Kitten...but on another note he's coming along nicely for a boy his age' The Nibi chuckled.

"N-Nibi p-please your not h-helping " Hinata stammered in a tiny voice.

'Fine little one I'll leave you alone...you won't be a very effective guard, if you end up passed out.' The demoness teased before her presence receded.

Hinata tried her best to keep her eyes off of Naruto as she quickly avert

* * *

Sakura frowned as she leaped beside Shino.

"It looks like wherever the other teams are, their keeping a low profile...that or their further into the forest."She said softly.

"I believe you are right...my insects are detecting a residue left by chakra suggesting several teams passed through this area, but then headed north further into the forest." Shino said in his normal emotionless tone.

"Should we check it out ?" Sakura asked quirking a brow.

"No..we should stick to the original plan and continue heading east before doubling back around...it could prove dangerous to move further into the forest without backup."he stated.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that" Sakura deadpanned and sighed as she and the bug user continued their trajectory through the forest...

* * *

Sasuke flipped forward towards an adjacent branch stopping in place as Kiba did.

"Why are we stopping ?" Sasuke asked quietly as he moved closer to Kiba and Akamaru.

Kiba looked over his shoulder at the Uchiha before looking back down towards the forest floor.

"I can hear the sound of battle...and smell blood nearby, we should probably be careful." Kiba whispered.

Sasuke nodded as he and Kiba silently landed on a lower branch as they gazed through the plethora of foliage towards the direction of the nearby commotion.

There they saw two groups of Ninja or more precisely what remained of one of the teams.

Kiba and Sasuke could see the Sand headbands on three of the Ninja, across from them was a single Ninja from the hidden rain village. He was on his knees and could be heard begging for mercy.

"H-here the scroll is all yours ...please don't kill me" he pleaded as he tossed an Earth Scroll, it landed a few feet away from Gaara who seemed to pay it no mind.

"I have no need for your scroll...we have already attained what we need"Gaara said in a deadly tone as his icy blue eyes narrowed.

"T-then why a-attack us ?" the man sputtered.

"You and your comrades looked at me the wrong way...and mother begs for your blood" he said simply as the cork to his gourd was released as sand began pouring out rapidly.

"G-gaara maybe we should just go...we don't need anything from him." Temari suggested in a fearful tone.

Gaara turned as he looked at his sister with no compassion in his eyes. "Silence or you'll be next" he said before he turned back to the Rain Ninja who began screaming as he tried desperate to flee only to have sand wrap around his ankles and drag him backwards.

"Who in the world are these guys ? "Kiba whispered as he clenched his fist.

Sasuke on the other hand narrowed his eyes as he studied the redheaded boy. "Gaara...Naruto asked about this guy before the first exam...he must have met him already." he whispered to himself.

"Sasuke what are we going to do ? " Kiba asked as his nails bit into the wood of the branch they rested on.

"Kiba there's nothing we can do...this guy ...whoever he is...is different...I don't think even at our best could we take him at the moment, let alone the rest of his team as well."Sasuke whispered.

Kiba gritted his teeth and was about to say something before both boys were drawn back to scene below as the sand now encased the rain genin was now screaming even louder.

"Sand Burial" Gaara cried as he clenched his fist causing a loud implosion with his sand.

From the treeline the two boys could only watch in horror as blood spewed all over the place...several droplets even staining the branch they stood on.

Nothing remained of the former Rain Genin...

Kiba and Sasuke remained rooted as they watched the sand siblings make their way from the scene after a few moments leaving behind the extra Earth Scroll.

When reality snapped back into place for the Duo a couple of minutes later, Sasuke spoke up.

"K-kiba get that Earth Scroll...for your team and then let's double back...I don't think it's a good idea to be separated any longer...especially, if there are more people like that in this exam." Sasuke said.

Kiba still stood shocked a moment before Akamaru barked and returned him to his senses.

"Right." he replied simply as he looked around the area a moment before dropping down to the ground to collect the abandoned Earth Scroll.

* * *

Hinata shook her head clearing her thoughts as she began studying the immediate area around the base camp.

'Nothing but a few owls and a white snake with yellow eyes ?' she thought to herself as she stood up slightly as pulled back the veil of flora just in time to come eye to eye with a yellow predatorial gaze that rooted her into place. However the snake she had seen before was no longer there instead she saw a tall pale man with the same yellow eyes she had seen on the white snake moments before.

"Hello Hinata-chan" the voice purred in a sickly sweet way.

"Y-you k-know w-who I am?" she stammered terribly as she was unable to move in the least and her Byakguan deactivated just as she witnessed a giant snake devouring Naruto in the distance.

"But of course my dear...those lovely eyes of yours are quite worthy of note. Most of your clan doesn't appreciate your talents do they?" He whispered as he slithered forward his lips stopping inches from her neck.

"W-what d-do you mean?" she stuttered as her body shook terribly and tears began to stream down her cheek.

"That despite the way your treated...you possess natural gifts they could only dream of. Your eyes for example...I know that you can see well beyond the fellow members of your clan. Your Cousin may be a prodigy...that surpasses your current skill level, however his eyes don't possess the same capability as your own do they ? your eyes are even superior to anyone else of your clan...to think you can see over 10 kilometers...well over 6 miles...and that isn't even touching on the fact you contain the Two Tailed Nibi." he purred as he reached out and gently stroked her cheek as his other hand burrowed into her stomach causing an intense pain. "Five Prong Seal" Orochimaru whispered.

Hinata wanted to run but her body was unresponsive. "H-how do you know s-so much a-about m-me?" she whispered as her vision began to grow blurry from the tears.

'Little one do not trust this one...he is foul...he only seeks to twist you' The Nibi warned as she pressed herself against her container's cage though her voice began to seem distant to Hinata as if it was fading away.

'Nibi...please help me...I-I can't do this on my own...Naruto-kun...is ...he's ' she begged.

"Little one...I-I can barely feel you know...the Snake has me bound...I'm sorry there's nothing I can do at the moment" the Demoness said her voice almost nothing more then a whisper now.

"You intrigue me...I want to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime...you struggle so much with self confidence...loneliness...I could give you a gift, one that would make you strong , put an end to your weaknesses, and take away your pain" he whispered in a hiss.

"I-I w-will find m-my own strength and I-I'm never alone not a-anymore" she said with as much strength as she could muster, as she struggled to move even more, still to no avail.

"You poor girl...don't you see how alone you are now...no matter I'll still give you a parting gift...should you survive...come seek me out." he whispered as he leaned forward as fangs jutted out from his mouth as he came ever closer to Hinata's pale flawless neck.

However before he could seal the deal a fist collided with his jaw hard sending him flying backwards about 15 feet.

"Keep your mouth off of Hinata" Naruto roared as he landed in front of her in a feral crouch. His eyes were blazing red as he was surrounded by an intense cloak of demon chakra.

"N-naruto-kun" Hinata cried as she found her body responsive again as she fell to one knee before slowly rising back to her feet still feeling the pain in her gut.

"Are you alright Hinata-chan ?" He said as he turned to look at her his demonic expression still mixed with his concern for her safety.

"H-hai...or I w-will be" she stuttered.

"Good...signal the others...I'll hold him off as long as I can" he said as he turned to look at the pale man who now stood with his arms crossed with devilish smile on his face.

Hinata nodded as she reached into her jacket and felt the tiny beetle touch her forefinger...she quickly applied a burst of chakra to it, hoping it would have the desired effect.

"Well aren't you full of surprises Naruto...and here I thought you were still engaged with my pet."Orochimaru purred.

"No I gave your friend an upset stomach when I made several hundred shadow clones and burst out of his gut" Naruto growled.

"Hmm...how interesting two jinchurikis right here before me...oh the possibilities" he murmured aloud as his eyes looked between the pair.

"I don't know who you are...but if you mean Hinata any harm then I'll kill you." Naruto warned his eyes narrowing as he crouched lower.

"Ah such unbridled fury... I'd love to stay and see what the two of you together are capable of, however I have pressing matters...plus I look forward to seeing how you Jinchuriki fair in this little exam...here take this as a parting gift " he said smirking as he tossed Naruto a heaven scroll.

"Remember the name Orochimaru children...for the next time we meet...I will make time to play with both of you." he said before he began to laugh as he sunk into the ground swiftly leaving no trace of his destination.

'And I look especially forward to seeing you again little Hinata-chan' the Snake Sannin mused to himself.

Naruto swallowed hard as he looked back at Hinata.

"Let's get back inside and wait for the others..."he said as he took a deep breath letting the demon chakra recede into his body.

"H-Hai " she whispered weakly as she looked at where Orochimaru had been only moments ago before she quickly fell back into the hollow of the tree.

An hour later the two teams found themselves rejoined in the midst of discussing what had happened...

"Orochimaru?" Sakura asked her eyes widening as she shared a look with Shino.

"That name sounds familiar...who is he?" Sasuke asked crossing his arms as he cast another concerned look over at his teammates.

"Orochimaru is the name of one of the Three Legendary Sannin...however unlike the other two he went rogue years ago. He easily outclasses anyone in this exam...in fact I don't think all of the genin combined in this exam could pose a threat to him." Shino stated as he adjusted his glasses slightly.

"S-so h-he wasn't even t-trying?" Hinata whispered as she wrapped her arms under her chest before shivering.

Naruto had been fairly quiet as he scooted closer before wrapping an arm around Hinata before pulling her close to him.

"Either way we sent him packing...and got this in return" Naruto said gesturing to the Heaven scroll next to him.

"Yeah and we picked up an Earth Scroll while scouting." Kiba said offering a toothy grin before frowning slightly as he remembered how that had come about in the first place.

"Hmmm despite the trouble some of us experienced tonight...we should be in good shape to approach the tower as we are...I doubt many other groups would think to attack our two teams combined." Shino said.

"Alright so we can get some rest and the approach the tower tomorrow morning."Sasuke said.

As he everyone agreed and began to make preparations for bed, Sasuke remained standing as he looked over at Naruto and Hinata.

"Naruto can I have a word with you ?" he asked.

Naruto hugged Hinata and squeezed her hand before he stood up and followed the raven haired Ninja out of the hollow and a few hundred feet away.

"Oi whats up Sasuke ?" Naruto asked as he placed his hands behind his head.

Sasuke turned with a serious expression on his face as he studied the blonde.

"Naruto I need a straight answer from you...what do you know about Gaara?" Sasuke asked as he leaned against a nearby tree.

Naruto's expression grew more serious. "Why did you and Kiba see him ?" he asked.

"You could say that...he slaughtered an entire team of genin with ease with next to no effort. The team he killed...he didn't even need their scroll...he just killed them because they looked at him the wrong way." Sasuke said as he remembered the bloody scene he and Kiba had witnessed not too long ago.

"Gaara is similar to me and Hinata..." Naruto said his gaze now downcast as he seemed to be deep in thought.

"That Monster was nothing like you two." Sasuke retorted as he took a step forward his eyes serious.

Naruto gritted his teeth closing his eyes before reopening them so Sasuke could see his crimson predator gaze.

"Maybe the two of us have chosen a different path...but we could have so easily become that...he shares our burden...but he has become buried in his loneliness and hate...through that he became like he is now. Don't you think you understand that yourself? " Naruto asked as he took a breath before his eyes returned to their normal cerulean hue.

Sasuke realized he had misspoken before and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm sorry for what I said...but how do you know that about him ? Did he tell you this?" Sasuke asked.

"He never had to...I could see it when I first looked into his eyes...it's not something I can explain...but only a fellow Jinchuriki can understand that burden and the pain that comes with it." Naruto said.

"So how do you plan to deal with him if we have to in the next round ?" Sasuke asked.

"I'll get through to him...somehow... but I need you to keep this a secret. " Naruto said as he looked seriously at Sasuke.

"Are you serious I should probably tell every Jonin in the leaf as well as the Hokage." he said exasperated.

"Please Sasuke give me this chance." Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke groaned. "Fine...I don't like this...but I trust you" he said as he relaxed.

Naruto grinned as his demeanor changed completely. "Alrighty let's get back to the others...so I can make some instant ramen before bed" he exclaimed excitedly as he darted back towards the hollow.

Sasuke just shook his head. 'I hope your right' he thought as he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed behind the blonde back towards camp...


	10. Chapter 10

The Sun now hung in the middle of the sky banishing many shadows that lay in the Forest below. Team 7 and 8 had risen early in the morning and after setting a fast pace had arrived unscathed outside the tower on only the second day of this exam. Leaving the genin plenty of time to recover in the tower as they would await the rest of the teams to arrive.

"You have our thanks" Shino said as he inclined his towards Team 7 before he turned and began to walk towards their indicated door.

"Yeh it's been real guys ...it would have probably sucked had we gone it alone" Kiba said flashing a toothy grin before he turned and followed after Shino.

"Goodluck guys...it was nice seeing you all again, even you Naruto" Sakura said smirking at the blonde before she turned away not before winking at Sasuke.

Sasuke muttered something under his breath, but the faintest tint of pink could be seen coloring his cheeks.

Naruto took a deep breath before grinning a megawatt smile. "Alright let's get inside" he said excitedly as he marched towards their door.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes but smirked as he strode forward with his hands in his pockets.

Hinata smiled softly as she ran to catch up with the blonde...she smiled shyly at him as he looked over at her.

She summoned her courage as she took his hand and they walked forward into the tower hand in hand.

"Dosu why the hell didn't we attack them ?" Zaku asked as he peered at the tower that lay only a few hundred yards away.

"You can be so reckless Zaku...while I don't doubt our capabilities it would have been foolish to attack two teams at once, especially when our only objective is the members of team 7. No we will wait for another opportunity" Dosu said as he rose from the bushes and looked back towards the direction they had come.

"He's right now all we need to worry about is getting a scroll." Kin said as she stood and began to follow Dosu.

"What's the plan then ?" Zaku asked as he rose and followed his teammates.

"We wait until another team that has their scrolls arrives...then we ambush them." Dosu stated simply.

Naruto stared at Iruka Sensei for a long moment before looking back down at the unrolled heaven and earth scrolls that now lay open.

"That was the coolest technique ever Sensei how did you do that?!" Naruto exclaimed.

Iruka sighed. 'I guess Naruto still has a long ways to go' he thought before allowed for a small smile.

"Never mind that for now Naruto. I'm here to greet the three of you and congratulate you for making this far." he stated.

Naruto pouted as he crossed his arms and squinted his eyes as he looked back down at the two scrolls.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle as she patted the blonde on the shoulder.

"Thanks Sensei, but what exactly was the point of the scrolls...what did they really represent ?" Sasuke asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Iruka smiled. "I'm glad you asked the reason why you cannot proceed without both scrolls is they represent what a Ninja needs to know to succeed." he stated.

"A-ano what do you mean Sensei?" Hinata asked.

Iruka pointed behind him at a scroll on the wall. "Listen carefully as I explain..

_"If heavenly qualities are your desire_

_acquire wisdom; take your mind higher._

_if earthly qualities are what you lack,_

_train your body; prepare to attack._

_when heaven and earth are opened together_

_the perilous path will become righteous forever."_

Naruto scratched the back of his head confused. "Ummm come again Sensei?"

Iruka sighed before continuing. "It means if your weakness lies in your lack of wisdom, you should study more and review aspects of a mission before rushing in unprepared."

"But I hate studying..." Naruto mumbled to which his teammates sighed and Iruka's eye twitched.

"On the other hand if you lack physical strength, stamina, or combat prowess you should devote time to developing your body and honing your skills. If you can attain both of these elements of body and mind, heaven and earth together then you will be prepared for the next step and furthermore with both of these qualities you should prepared for any mission." he explained.

Hinata and Sasuke nodded and even after a moment Naruto nodded.

"I can't express how proud I am of you three, getting this far on your first Chunin exams isn't easy. No matter how much further you make it, you should all be proud of yourselves" he said smiling.

Each of the genin exchanged a look before Naruto spoke up.

"Oi Sensei we appreciate the pep talk, but we need to tell you something that happened in the Forest." he said.

"Eh I still don't understand how Iruka-Sensei came out of that scroll" Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, as he and his team strolled into the common area, that housed the genin teams that arrived early.

"That doesn't surprise me considering you barely know how to boil water"Sasuke remarked.

"Watch it Teme" Naruto growled.

Hinata giggled at their back and forth banter but stopped suddenly as their team came face to face with the other teams who had already arrived.

Amongst those who had already arrived were Team 8 who had only arrived a few minutes earlier, the Sand Trio, and Team 9. From this main common area there were dozens of separate rooms on the floor above, clearly meant to contain the various teams that arrived during this portion of the test.

Feeling those hateful eyes once again burrowing into her, Hinata's gaze lowered to the floor before she immediately rounded the stairs, approached the first vacant room and stepped inside before shutting the door quickly behind her.

Naruto growled. "I really want to knock Neji's block off" he whispered to Sasuke.

Sasuke seemed fairly irritated too as he crossed his arms.

Neji's eyes still stared unrelentingly in the direction Hinata had gone before looking back at the rest of team 7.

"You must be gifted Uchiha...to have two dead weights dragging you down and to still make it here this early." Neji remarked as he looked only at Sasuke now.

Sasuke scoffed. "Tell me Neji does your face still sting or have a mark where one of those 'dead weights' slapped the crap out of you the other day ?" he asked.

Neji's gaze remained unwavering as he smirked. "I do hope we get a chance to fight in the finals...I can prove to the world that the survivor of the Uchiha is nothing but a joke...and perhaps should have died with the rest of his pathetic clan." He said.

Several of the other leaf Genin stared horror struck by Neji's statement even his own teammates.

Sasuke's growled as he felt a rage sweep over him and have sprung forward to attack if not for Naruto holding him back with all his might.

"Sasuke chill...he's trying to egg you on...if you try to kick the crap out of him now you'll be disqualified." Naruto said groaning as he barely could restrain his friend.

Sasuke relaxed greatly as he though he still stared at a smirking Neji.

"You know what Neji...I hope we don't have a chance to fight...because I hope it's your Cousin Hinata, who gets the chance to finally shut you up" Sasuke said as Naruto loosened his hold.

As Sasuke stormed off Naruto sighed as he was torn between following him and checking on Hinata. He decided on the later as he left the remaining genin as he rounded the nearby stairs and find Hinata...

"Jeez what the hell is that guy's problem ?" Kiba whispered to Sakura and Shino, as he shot Neji a look out of the corner of his eyes.

"That is Neji Hyuuga...last year's Rookie of the Year...I believe he and Hinata-san have bad blood within their clan." Shino said quietly.

"That Jerk has some nerve for saying what he said...he'd better hope I don't fight him or I'll cave his face in Shannaro!" she exclaimed to which her two team mates paled.

"Sakura...I don't think it would be that simple.."Shino whispered.

"Heh you gotta admit though...it would be priceless to see that." Kiba remarked as Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"Indeed" Shino responded after a moment.

* * *

Naruto knocked before entering the room Hinata had entered a short time ago, to find the Hyuuga Heiress lying curled in bed starring at the far wall.

"Hey" he said simply feeling foolish for saying nothing further as he approached the bed before sitting down on the edge as he stared at her soft cherubic face.

Hinata's lavender orbs looked away from the wall momentarily . "A-ano N-naruto-kun...I-I'm s-sorry I h-had my mind on s-something" she stammered as she fiddled with her fingers.

Naruto moved before taking a seat about a foot way from her as he studied her for a moment before speaking. "Heya Hinata-chan is it about Neji-Teme ?" he asked as he leaned closer before he rested his forehead against hers.

The shy Hyuuga blushed madly before she finally found her voice. "Y-yes and N-no...just e-everything...I can't s-stop thinking of that m-man f-from the forest a-and N-neji's hate just made it w-worse I n-needed to get away and t-think." she whispered.

"Hey don't worry about that Orochimaru guy...he won't get you and next time we'll kick his ass if he does show up...and as far as Neji...he just needs a good ass kicking to straighten him out" Naruto said with a contagious grin.

Hinata giggled as she reached out and hugged Naruto tightly. "A-arigato N-naruto-kun I n-needed that...but I really do just n-need some time to think" she said .

Naruto nodded as he kissed her forehead before pulling away. "Hai whatever you need Hime! I'm going to go find Sasuke and maybe see if this place has any ramen." he said as his eyes sparkled before he stood up and waved at her before he strode out of the door.

What Naruto failed to notice was the figure that awaited his exit.

Hinata now sat cross legged in bed as the door opened once again and someone she recognized all to well stepped inside.

"Hinata-Sama" he said in mocking tone as he stepped into the room.

"Neji-Nii-san ?"Hinata asked as she quickly rose from the bed and felt herself grow weak under his gaze.

"You will fight me...I will end your pointless ambitions to continue any further in this exam...you need to learn your fate" he spat.

"W-what are y-you t-talking about ?" she stammered before she bit her lip.

"Tonight at midnight you will meet me at the arena at the base of the tower and I will demonstrate the true power of the Hyuuga Clan to you." he said in an arrogant manner.

"B-but Nii-san...I-I d-don't want to f-fight you" she stuttered.

"If you possess any shred of honor you will meet me tonight...or are you a complete failure like Uzumaki ? "he said with a calculating gaze knowing all to well what he would have to say to push her over the edge.

Hinata's hand clenched as she said nothing for a moment but simply nodded. "I-I'm not a f-failure...not anymore.. and neither is N-naruto-kun... I will meet you there tonight." she stated softly.

"Hinata-Sama come alone" he said as he turned and strode from the room but not before slamming the door.

* * *

Hinata felt her heart racing as she strode through the empty hallways, as she reached the balcony of the Preliminary Arena before she leaped down off of the balcony before landing gracefully some fifty feet away from her Cousin who stood glaring at her.

"So you actually came ? Very well then I will show you why continuing in this Exam is pointless." he stated as he took a Taijutsu Hinata recognized all to well.

"N-nii-san why do we have to do this ?" She asked softly.

"Because people are judged by their true nature. It is the way of the world. That is why we have an elite, and that is why we have outcasts. We can change our physical appearance and prove our skills with training and study, but ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change. What can't be changed must be endured. We are who we are, and we must live with it. Once a failure, always a failure. You can't change that. " He stated coldly.

"T-then I will have to prove y-you wrong" she stated as she took a deep breath before mirroring his stance.

"You can try anything you like...but the result will always be the same." he stated.

"Byakugan" they called out at the same time before silence settled over the arena as neither of the Hyuuga moved for the first few moments.

Finally Neji took the first initiative as he darted forward and attempted a simple palm strike to test Hinata's guard.

A loud smack could be heard as Hinata batted his hand away with ease. Before she returned with a strike that nearly caught his right shoulder if he hadn't turned at the last second.

Several exchanges passed as Neji assaulted Hinata's defense...however strike for strike she managed to with difficulty repel his attacks.

"You aren't as weak as I first thought...but your attempt to fight me is in vain...your fate is to lose to me...your pressing your limit just to repel my strikes and I have yet to unleash what I'm capable of " he said as he caught her incoming strike by grabbing her wrist before he jabbed several of her chakra points with his other arm.

Hinata flipped back away as she grabbed her arm that was now numb."I-I won't stop...N-naruto-kun would never give up and neither will I" she stated.

Neji smirked . "You harbor strong feelings for the dead last don't you ? You realize it's pointless don't you ? Your fate as pathetic as it is lies in the Hyuuga Clan...you will never be allowed to pursue Uzumaki...it's time you give up your fanciful dreams and accept reality." he stated.

Hinata felt tears spring to her eyes as she wavered just a moment as her stance became unbalanced...it was then Neji lunged forward and struck.

His palm struck her hard in the stomach sending her rolling backwards across the ground before finally coming to a stop. 'Is he right...is nothing I've dreamed of possible...should I just give in' she wondered as she lay there feeling the pain wracking through her system.

**"Little one would Naruto ever give up his dreams ? Your Cousin may be powerful...but he is limited because he refuses to dream and defy what he believes is destiny. I still cannot lend you my strength...but you don't need my strength to stand again." the Demoness's voice could barely be heard at the moment.**

It only took one thought of the blonde she so deeply loved to rally the strength to fight on as Hinata groaned, before rising back to her feet and wiping the blood from her mouth.

"You only delay the inevitable...it is senseless to continue." Neji stated.

"No...I will fight on ...because I will never go back on my word, because that is my nindo, my ninja way!"she exclaimed as she darted forward and began trading blow for blow with Neji for several moments ending the exchange as she struck his left shoulder.

"Very well Hinata-Sama...if you wish to entertain the belief you can win...I will no longer hold back." he said as he darted forward before taking a stance Hinata noticed a second too late.

"Eight Trigram: Sixty-Four Palms" Neji called out as he lunged forward rapidly and began to strike her Tenketsu with pinpoint precision. As he finished the final strike he slammed his hand into her chest sending her sprawling once again across the floor.

"Do you understand now? You have no way of beating me! You never had a chance. "he said as he deactivated his Byakugan and prepared to walk away.

"W-wait..." he heard a small voice behind him.

He turned his eyes widening as he watched in shock as Hinata forced herself back to her feet.

His momentary shock turned into amusement.

"Do you intend to fight me with no Chakra and prolong your suffering ?" he asked quirking a brow.

"You're wrong, Neji… Because I can see that you are suffering more than me...even now… You are the one who is confused and suffering inside the fate of the head and branch families."Hinata breathed before she dropped to one knee as she began coughing up blood.

Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously as his Byakugan flared to life as he lunged forward intending to kill Hinata.

However before he could do so both Naruto and Sasuke landed in front of her taking a defensive stance as he felt a hand on his shoulder now.

"Enough Neji...you promised me you wouldn't let this Clan thing become an issue...now back down or I swear I will pull you from this exam " Guy promised, a hard edge lacing his tone.

"It figures the Main branch always receives special treatment." Neji growled before he deactivated his Byakugan and relaxed.

"Boys get Hinata to the infirmary immediately."Guy ordered .

Naruto knelt down and picked up Hinata into his arms before he cast a dark look at Neji.

"Neji...you'd better pray you and I don't face each other in the finals or I will Kill you rules or not." he said as he injected some killing intent into his voice.

"I second that Hyuuga...you stay away from my teammate or else" Sasuke said as he cast a hateful glare at the Hyuuga prodigy for moment, before he and Naruto turned and without another word made their way from the preliminary arena and towards the Infirmary...

* * *

"Did your Ninja hounds managed to find anything?" Sarutobi asked as he looked at Kakashi.

Kakashi frowned. "His scent was all over the forest, but he covered his tracks in such a way that I don't know what direction he veered of into." he admitted.

Sarutobi sighed. "Anko had a very close encounter...she very nearly was killed. Now we don't know if Orochimaru has simply left or is hiding right beneath our noses."

Kakashi nodded. "What I want to know is why Hinata was a target? Was it because of her Byakugan or her tenant?" Kakashi asked before he folded his arms across his chest.

"I wish I knew Kakashi, all we can do is remain on guard and operate under the assumption that this isn't the last we've seen of him. Other then that I would suggest you keep a particularly close eye on your entire team" he stated before the door opened up and a furious looking Kurenai stormed into the room.

Sarutobi instantly sensing her rage stood up. "Kurenai what is the meaning of this? What's wrong?" he asked.

Kurenai stormed over and grabbed Kakashi by his collar. "This is your fault...my Hinata is in the infirmary now. This wouldn't have happened if I had been her Sensei...the one thing I ask you to do is to look out for her." she growled her red eyes glaring intently at Kakashi who hadn't bothered to resist.

"Kurenai explain what happened" Sarutobi said mildly.

"Neji called Hinata's sense of Honor among her clan into question and challenged her to a duel...she's now lying in the hospital." she said before she finally released Kakashi and stepped backwards.

Kakashi finally spoke in almost defeated voice. "Your right...I did let her down...I should have been there to stop it, but she is my student not yours and I won't let her down again. If you'll excuse me I'd like to check on her." he said as he turned and without another word disappeared amidst a swirl of leaves.

Kurenai relaxed a bit as she bowed her head. "Forgive me Lord Hokage...I'm sorry for making such a scene and interrupting, I didn't mean to eavesdrop either, but I couldn't help but overhearing something strange." she said quietly.

Sarutobi took a deep breath before exhaling. "Take a seat Kurenai this is going to be a long night." he stated.

* * *

"What's the deal Kakashi-Sensei? We haven't been able to see Hinata-chan since she was admitted to the infirmary." Naruto said as he studied the Cyclops closely.

Kakashi sighed as he closed his book before tucking it away into his flak jacket.

"Well a normal person would be hospitalized for a couple of weeks after that sort of Trauma...however we know that Hinata is special. I can't really say...the last of the Genin should be arriving soon, theres a slim chance she may pull through in time to compete...however I would put the odds against her I'm afraid." he said before falling silent.

Naruto growled as Sasuke clenched his fist before speaking . "Neji had better hope she pulls through... or I'll do much more than hospitalize him." he swore.

Few even Naruto knew that in many regards Sasuke had slowly begun to treat Hinata like a little sister...the thought of killing someone who caused her pain did not bother him in the least.

"Hey you two calm down...even if Hinata is unable to continue, she wouldn't want the two of you doing something reckless on her behalf. Keep your focus on what lies next and have faith in Hinata...that's all we can do at this point." Kakashi said as he offered an eye smile hoping to calm his two hotheaded students.

Of course his efforts did little to calm the boys...

At his point however all they could do was hope and if the worse came to pass be ready to move on...

* * *

The fifth day had arrived and now all the successful teams now stood lined up before the Hokage awaiting him to make an announcement in regards to the next portion of the test.

A total of seven teams had made it through the second phase of the exams.

As silence prevailed over the gathered Genin they awaited attentively for the Sagely Kage to speak. However before he could do so, the door to the Preliminary chambers opened up as Hinata walked in her gaze focusing on the ground as she blushed fiercely from having so many people look in her direction. She shyly took her place next to her team offering each a shy smile.

Naruto nearly burst in excitement as he almost forgot where he was and glomped the girl, he settled instead for a megawatt smile and a thumbs up.

Sasuke gave a relieved smile in return before turning back to face the Hokage.

A few of the other Leaf Ninja glanced at the late comer, but it was Neji who was for a change was baffled. Was it not Hinata that he had beaten thoroughly days before...it seemed incompressible that she was now standing here relatively fine ,merely two and half days later.

However beyond his confusion his anger was sparked further. He couldn't understand why she refused to accept her place...why did she and the Uzumaki fool defy their fate. It mattered little now...he was sure that she and the deadlast would learn there place if not by his hand by someone else before this exam was concluded.

"Ah I believe a congratulations is in order, the twenty-one of you who remain should be extremely proud of yourselves. Never before have we had so many fine young men and women make it this far into the chunin exams. With that I must apologize that we will need to have a preliminary round in order to narrow down those of you who remain.."

"But that is bull-" Ino was muffled by Shikamaru before she could finish her sentence.

Sarutobi chuckled. "I'm sure it feels that way , however the life of a Ninja is anything, but fair. All of you must accept that now in order to be ready for the next step. As I was saying these preliminary matches will consist of a series of one on one fights decided randomly. I will allow Hayate Gecko explain the details" he said before falling silent.

A sickly looking Jonin stepped forward before coughing. "Is there anyone who wishes to forfeit due to fatigue or injury prior to beginning ?" he asked.

There was silence throughout the group...however Kabuto glanced up at the balcony locking eyes with a Sound Jonin. A silent message was relayed between the pair as Kabuto smirked. 'Looks like I'm fighting this time' he mused to himself.

"Very well...then the rules are simple...you win a match if your opponent is unable to continue,forfeits, or is ..killed. I possess the right to end a match if I deem it necessary..so follow my instructions. Any questions?" he asked before coughing again.

"Are their any restrictions in regards to Taijutsu,Genjutsu, or Ninjutsu?" Dosu asked.

"None at all as long as it doesn't endanger anyone else in this room...as you can see around you there is a balcony above this floor...those of you who aren't currently fighting can watch from above." he stated.

"Anything else?" he asked only to be greeted by silence.

"Very well..if you'll look to the screen behind me you'll see the two who will participate in the first match...if your not either of these individuals please move to the balcony." Hayate stated.

The Genin watched intently as the board began to shuffle names...everyone waited with a bated breath to see if they would be the first to fight...

Finally the names on the board came to halt as the first two names were displayed.

Sasuke Uchiha Vs Yoroi Akado

Immediately the other genin began clearing the floor one by one.

"Kick his ass Sasuke " Naruto said offering a grin towards his friend before he began making his way towards the balcony.

"A-ano good luck Sasuke-kun" Hinata offered with a small smile before she followed after the exuberant blonde.

Saskue just smirked as he crossed his arms and studied the masked genin before him.

Naruto was still grinning as he leaned against the railing. "I'm so glad your ok Hinata-chan." he whispered to the petite Hyuuga that stood right beside him.

Hinata blushed softly. "H-hai...I'm glad I could be h-here.." she replied softly before she glanced at her love again and flushed slightly.

On the far side of the Balcony Neji studied his Cousin still utterly confused as to how she was moving much less here not even three days later.

'Why do you defy your role Hinata-Sama' he mused to himself before he as many of the other Genin heard the proctor speak and turned his attention to the ground below...

* * *

"The Two of you may began when your ready!" Hayate stated.

Sasuke examined his opponent closely as he crouched into an aggressive fighting stance.

Yoroi however remained standing casually with his arms by his side his expression unreadable due to the mask covering his features.

"Heh if your just going to stand there I'll come to you." Sasuke stated before he shifted slightly before leaping forward and preforming a powerful kick toward Yoroi's midsection.

The older Genin evaded the kick just barely before brushing his hand along Sasuke's leg before leaping backwards.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt a surge of fatigue overcome him.

'What the hell was that' he wondered to himself.

Sasuke pulled out a windmill shuriken and unfolded it...

'Let's see if this works' he mused to himself.

"Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows " he called out as he reared his arm back before launching the shuriken at Yoroi.

Yoroi quickly ducked to avoid the incoming weapon and nearly missed the sight of a second Shuriken following in the shadow of the first.

He winced as he just barely managed to side step the second Shuriken taking a nick to his shoulder, however before he could recover he felt a fist collide into his stomach.

He gritted his teeth as he tried to absorb the blow, as he looked down he saw Sasuke crouched low with a smirk on his face.

Yoroi grinned as he reached out before Sasuke could pull away and wrapped both of his hands around the Uchiha's arm.

Sasuke felt himself once again growing weaker...

'Dammit how is he doing this ?' Sasuke wondered as he reached into kunai pouch with his off hand. He quickly pulled the Kunai out and attempted to stab Yoroi in the arm, however the large genin kicked him in the chest and flipped backwards before Sasuke could follow through with his attack.

"I see your finally starting to get it...you can't beat me...because I only need to touch you, to absorb your chakra...and as you can tell even the smallest of touches leaves you drained, you should forfeit now." Yoroi stated

Sasuke laughed. "Forfeit ? I'm just getting started." he said as he closed his eyes before reopening a moment later to reveal a two tomoe sharingan.

Impossible...when did he?' Kabuto's stopped in his thoughts as he studied Sasuke's Ninja card.

'Ah Sasuke-kun I must say I'm impressed with you. Perhaps I underestimated you...you are worthy of my notice.' Orochimaru mused to himself.

"Yosh I wonder if Sasuke was holding back during our last fight...I will have to request a rematch." Lee stated before pumping his fist into the air earning a sigh from Tenten and an eye roll from Neji.

"You've lost this match now." Sasuke stated as he darted forward before attempting to sweep Yoroi's legs.

The older genin jumped over Sasuke's leg sweep and tried to grab Sasuke by the shoulder however Sasuke now with ease flipped out of his grasp.

"What makes you think that Uchiha?" Yoroi asked.

"Because I can tell by the way you fight...you rely too much on that ability of yours...with my sharingan I intend to put you down before you can steal anymore of my Chakra." Sasuke stated.

"An interesting idea, but I doubt your capable carrying it out." Yoroi replied

"Then allow me to show you" Sasuke grinned before he formed a series of handsigns.

"Fire Style:Grand Fire-ball Jutsu" He cried before a giant ball of fire formed from his mouth before roaring forward towards Yoroi.

'Not bad...but not good enough' Yoroi thought as he formed a quick handsign.

"Water Clone Jutsu" He whispered.

As the Fireball collided it seemed as if it had hit it's target, however a large amount of smoke and steam bellowed up from where the fireball had hit and in the midst of it the real Yoroi still stood unharmed forming a series of handsigns preparing to counterattack.

However before he could do so he felt a powerful kick to his back before he was thrown airborne.

Those watching would see Yoroi hurled into the air above the steam and smoke, before watching a lightening fast figure leap up after him before kicking him higher into the air.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf" Sasuke murmured as he appeared in midair behind Yoroi.

As the Genin attempted to elbow Sasuke, the young Uchiha dodged the attack with ease before spinning around and uppercutting the boy further into the air before disappearing from sight again.

Yoroi's vision blurred as he was now airborne starring at the ceiling that was growing steadily closer. However he found himself still stunned by Sasuke's last attack and before he could react, he watched as Sasuke reappeared above him and delivered a powerful dropkick across his chest.

"Lion's Barrage" Sasuke stated clearly as the large Genin spiraled to the ground before crashing.

Before Sasuke had landed Hayate already approached the prone boy examining him closely.

"The Winner of this Match is Sasuke Uchiha" He announced.

Sasuke smirked as he landed and deactivated his Sharingan, before he stuck his hands in his pockets and made his way up towards the balcony. He momentarily traded a glance with a certain pink haired Kunoichi who was looking at him, he actually offered her a rare smile as a he rounded the stairs.

Several medical Ninja quickly arrived and placed Yoroi on a stretcher before carrying him away from the room.

"Woo way to kick ass Sasuke" Naruto exclaimed as he patted the Uchiha on the back who in turn gave him an annoyed look.

"T-that was incredible S-sasuke-Kun" Hinata said softly with a kind smile on her face.

"Yeah it was no big deal...just make sure the two of you do the same." he said before offering them each a small smile.

"Nice job Sasuke and congratulations." Kakashi said before offering an eye smile. 'He must have just recently unlocked the Sharingan and if I had to guess he was watching some of his competition in the last couple of days train. Very clever ' he thought to himself.

"Thanks...by the way I owe you one Naruto " Sasuke said nodding at the blonde remembering how they had spent their time preparing in the last couple of days, while Hinata was in the infirmary.

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

Naruto's fist collided into the wall again actually leaving a dent before he cocked back his hand preparing to take another swing.

"I"m sure she'll be fine, she's tougher then she looks."Sasuke said he approached his friend and hesitated for a long moment before patting the blonde on the shoulder. Somehow the gesture felt appropriate.

"I'm just so mad first that creep in the forest and then this shit with Neji. " he growled.

"Naruto we did what we could and now Sensei and the Hokage know what happened." Sasuke said.

"So you think we should just leave to them?" Naruto asked as he turned to look at his friend.

"Maybe...either way the both of us need to get a lot stronger. Naruto I need your help with something...if you can help me I'll show you something that should help your Taijutsu."he offered.

Naruto didn't wait for more then a moment before nodding. "Alright when do we begin?" he asked.

Sasuke allowed a smirk. "Follow me."

**_*End Flashback*_**

Naruto offered Sasuke a lopsided grin. "Oi you don't owe me anything that's what friends do for each other" he said smiling.

Sasuke just shook his head as he looked away a moment. He had never intended to make friends or become this attached to Kakashi,Naruto, and Hinata. He had been set on the path of an avenger. However he had begun to question if solitude would have made him stronger. If not for Naruto's help he wouldn't have unlocked his Sharingan likely in time for the finals and every time something had grown difficult in a mission it had been their teamwork that had made the difference. Maybe there was a different way to find the strength he needed to defeat Itachi.

"Yeah I guess your right." he said as he looked up at blonde offering him a sincere smile.

* * *

Lee blinked. "How did Sasuke learn that technique so quickly?"

"Undoubtedly he's been watching others here train in the last couple of days with his Sharingan and managed to copy it...like student like sensei." Guy mused, before cracking a smile as he glanced over at Kakashi.

* * *

The Names on the board finally came to a stop revealing the next pair that would face one another.

Dosu Kinuta Vs Choji Akimichi

Dosu wordlessly glanced between his two teammates before leaping off of the balcony and onto the floor below.

Choji on the other hand looked nervous as he looked between Ino and Shikamaru and finally Asuma.

"Maybe I should forfeit that guy looks like he means business." Choji said quietly as he swallowed hard.

"Do what you want Choji just make sure whatever you decide it's not troublesome" Shikamaru murmured as he looked on lazily.

Ino's eye twitched. "Don't listen to lazy ass here get down there and kick his ass Choji! " Ino yelled.

Choji began to sweat as he looked between his two teammates it was then that Asuma spoke up.

"Hey Choji just go down there and do your best...I'll treat you to Barbeque afterwards all you can eat."he said as he smiled at the boy before patting him on the shoulder.

A fire could be seen in Choji's eyes as he nodded before hopping down to the floor below.

"I was beginning to wonder if you intended to fight" Dosu said as his one visible eye studied Choji critically.

"Don't worry about me...worry about yourself" Choji said as his eyes still had fire in them.

'Because when I win I'll have all I can eat...' he thought to himself before he slammed his fists together in anticipation.

"Alright then you two...you may begin when your ready" Hayate said before he flipped backwards away from the pair.

Dosu stood there awaiting Choji to make the first move.

"Wooo Gooo Choji ! Flatten that mummy" Ino yelled.

Shikamaru looked over at Ino and groaned. "Troublesome blonde" he murmured.

Choji formed several slow handsigns before yelling out "Expansion Jutsu"

Immediately Chakra began to swirl around the boy before his body began to expand exponentially till he was several times larger and was shaped more like a ball especially from his midsection.

He then began to tuck his limbs and head inside his clothes as he cried out . "Human Bullet Tank".

Dosu stood and watched lazily as a giant rolling Choji hurled towards him. He didn't bother to move until the last second where he flipped backwards and watched as the expanded Choji crashed into the far wall and seemed to temporarily stuck there.

Dosu simply did a front flip landing right behind Choji before he reared his arm back and slammed his arm and gauntlet into Choji's back.

A sound wave reverberated through the room and more so through Choji's body before the poor genin's expansion jutsu ceased and he collapsed already unconscious.

Dosu began to walk towards the stairs just as Hayate coughed before speaking.

"The Winner of this Match is Dosu Kinuta" he stated just as another set of medical Ninja arrived on scene to tend to Choji.

"Poor Choji" Ino said as she crossed her arms and pouted.

"I think Choji is just happy he gets an all you can eat BBQ, I don't think he ever really cared about the match." Shikamaru said as he leaned lazily against the railing.

Asuma sighed. "Well regardless I'm proud of you all...not many Genin make it this far on their first attempt" he said as he pulled out a cigarette before lighting it and take a long drag.

"That was pathetic...I wonder if all these leaf Genin are just as pitiful."Kankuro said before crossing his arms.

"Heh I think you'll know soon enough " Temari said as she pointed towards the board.

Kankuro quirked a brow as he looked up at the board and grinned.

The other Genin also stared at the next pairing.

Sakura Haruno Vs Kankuro No Sabaku

* * *

"This should be entertaining" Kankuro chuckled before he vaulted over the balcony and landed. His puppet on his back was still completely wrapped up, though he wondered how much he would actually need against some weak Kunoichi.

Sakura smiled as she ignored some of the worried looks of her leaf peers as she grabbed the railing before somersaulting and landing gracefully on her feet on the ground below.

Sasuke clenched his fist with one hand as he gripped the rail with another.

"Not one of these guys...if he's anything like Gaara...She should forfeit now" he seethed as he stared concerned at the pink haired Kunoichi he now feared for. She could be annoying at times, but he'd didn't want to imagine what might happen if the fight proceeded.

"Your wrong..." Kiba said he stood several feet away at his team but he turned to face Sasuke.

"Of our entire team Sakura has grown the most since we graduated...I would never say it to her face...but I'd much rather fight Shino than Sakura. " Kiba said with a toothy grin.

"But you saw what Gaara did Kiba...he was in a completely different league then those Rain Genin." Sasuke said.

"Yeh but you haven't seen Sakura at her best either...I think you'll be surprised." Kiba said.

Sasuke actually seemed worried as he looked at the pinkette below.

"Sasuke-san...Sakura has expressed that she wants to be someone you see as a true Kunoichi...she wants to earn your approval I believe. So have faith in her now" Shino stated.

"OI Hinata I think someone is in love" he said snickering to Hinata though he was anything but discreet.

"Idiot...I will hit you" Sasuke growled as he looked down at Sakura.

'Good luck Sakura...be careful' he thought.

* * *

Sakura stood facing Kankuro with a calm expression she brushed aside her two pink pigtails as she examined the boy before her carefully.

"MAY THE POWER OF YOUTH BE WITH YOU SAKURA-CHAN ! LET YOUR FIRE BURN BRIGHT" Lee exclaimed from the balcony.

Sakura's eye twitched as she blushed in embarrassment. 'Dammit Lee why do you have to be so weird ?'

"If both of you are ready ...you may begin" Hayate stated as he once again fell back from the combatants.

"Ladies first" Kankuro sneered as he crossed his arms clearly unimpressed from Sakura at a glance.

Sakura offered him a sweet smile before her face hardened. "You might regret that" she stated as she formed several handseals.

"Demonic Illusion: Death Mirage Jutsu"She yelled out.

Kankuro still kept his arms crossed and laughed. "Wow that's an interesting Jutsu...though I fail to see what the point of it was"

Sakura's eyes widened. 'I know Genjutsu's can be dispelled ...however it seemed like it never took hold to begin with...but why'

"Heh tell you what we'll call that strike one...I'll give you two more chances" he offered arrogantly.

Sakura actually smirked. 'This guy is good but he's cocky and doesn't expect much of me...I guess it's time I surprise him' she thought as she bit her finger drawing blood before she lunged forward landing about ten eet away from Kankuro before slamming the ground with her hand.

"Summoning Jutsu : RazorWire Prison" She called out...instantly there was a large puff of smoke that covered the ground floor for a few moments...

As it cleared Kankuro could be seen bound by over a dozen razor wire that bound him tightly...if he moved but an inch the wire would surely slice him to ribbons.

"Forfeit...if you try to escape the wires will slice you to pieces"

'This is Sakura? She's incredible...I figured she had gotten better... and she had finally started taking her training serious, but I had no idea to what degree' Sasuke thought as he watched the Kunoichi closely.

Kankuro still smiled apparently unphased by his predicament.

"Heh I'll pass " He said as he forced his limbs through the razor wire...

Sakura winced as she expected a grisly scene...however she never expected him to force his way through the wires unscathed.

Only his clothes were tattered now...but not a speck of blood could be seen...

'Impossible those wires should have killed him if he tried that...so I need to figure out why they didn't and why my Genjustu isn't working' she thought to herself.

"You've only got one more strike little girl ...maybe you should give up now before you see the true power of Sunagakure's Puppet Master." He stated with a smirk.

'He's hardly a Master yet and he needs to learn when to be silent.' Baki thought as he studied his student critically.

Sakura kept a calm expression. 'It all makes sense now...you just made a costly mistake.' she thought to herself as she clenched her right fist as chakra became visible around her entire right arm.

"What is that crazy jutsu Sakura-chan's using?" Naruto asked as he looked on in amazement.

"It's less of a jutsu and more of a trained ability Sakura has been taught. She has excellent Chakra control however she physically isn't as strong as many of you...however that ceases to matter with this technique...she uses her chakra to bolster her taijutsu to Extraordinary levels. Kurenai said quietly as she looked at the blonde before looking back to Sakura.

Sasuke found himself yet again surprised by the pink haired ninja.

'It's not up to Tsunade-sama's level, but having only studied it theory it's amazing she already grasps the fundamentals of the technique. The question is can you use it in practice Sakura?' Kurenai wondered.

Sakura's fist was now encased by a bright green glowing chakra she took a deep breath as she focused on maintaining the chakra in her fist as she glared at Kankuro.

"Come on little girl...let's see your last move...then I promise to end this quickly" he smirked.

"You've got it Shānnarō!" she cried as she darted forward with her hand cocked back.

Kankuro smirked as in an instance he used his body replacement technique again as he prepared for Sakura to hit his puppet rather than him.

Sakura however at the last second fulled a feint as she crouched low and slid between his legs before turning in one fluid motion with her right arm glowing before delivering a devastating chakra enhanced punch to large object strapped on his back.

A loud groan could be heard as the person everyone assumed was Kankuro poofed from existence and was replaced with a puppet. The puppet fell limp as the wrapped object was sent sprawling across the floor. Sakura carefully approached the linen wrapped object before cutting back the wrappings with a kunai.

She was immediately greeted by Kankuro's weary face. He lay unable to move as he looked up at the pinkette with an exasperated expression.

"H-how did you figure it out ?" He asked.

Sakura relaxed slightly. "Well for starters, The first rule of breaking Genjutsu is to either disrupt the chakra flow, cease chakra flow to your body or use pain to snap yourself out of a genjutsu. Since I didn't see any handsigns or you hurting yourself in any way I could only assume you were disrupting the Genjutsu even before it could take hold...but at first I had no idea how. The second clue came when my wires did nothing to harm your body...It seemed impossible for a normal person to be able force their way through that type of trap... as you did, that had me stumped and I probably wouldn't have figured it out...but you gave me the final piece I needed to solve the mystery." she said smiling.

Kankuro grunted. "And what was that ?" he asked before coughing up blood.

"Simple you told me you were a Puppet Master...then it all made sense to me. Every time I had attempted to attack you... you used some form of a body replacement with your puppet to remain unscathed. The first to avoid my genjutsu, the second to break through my razor wire...once I figured that out I decided I would force you to use the body replacement one more time...but by then I had discovered where the real you would be." she said as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Heh I thought I had deceived you the entire match...and in the end you defeated me through deception...what irony." he said before he coughed again before loosing consciousness.

Hayate nodded before he held his arm out and spoke. "Winner of the Match is Sakura Haruno" he declared.

Sakura smiled pleased with herself as she began to make her way towards the balcony. Several of her comrades could be heard cheering but she looked for one particular person. Her eyes locked with his onyx eyes as she felt her heart skip a beat as he smiled at her. It was then she felt that he had finally truly noticed her. It was then all that hard work felt like it had finally paid off...

Once again the board began to shuffle names as Kankuro was carried out of the room to the Infirmary.

The Remaining Genin turned their attention to the board as they awaited the next pairing...

* * *

(NOTE)

I figured this would be a good chapter to have a note attached to!

To clear up any possible confusion Sasuke received his Sharingan much later then in the Canon, because he wasn't present during the fight with Haku on the bridge, during the land of waves arc. Thus he wasn't yet put into a situation in which he was forced to awaken it. Instead with Naruto's help he managed to unlock it during training at the tower, before the beginning of the prelims.

Because he didn't awaken his Dojutsu as early, Orochimaru is just now starting to take interest him. (I figured that I would stick to some aspects of Canon while still taking my own spin upon other things.)

As for Neji it's only a matter of time till he gets a rude awakening. Just bare with me until that point...he wouldn't be much of an antagonist if he was brushed aside so easily.

I would say more, but I want certain things to be a surprise!

Anyways thank you all for reading and please if you can leave a review ! ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

A few moments passed before the next two names appeared on the board.

Shikamaru Nara Vs Kin Tsuchi

Shikamaru groaned seeing the pairing.

He instantly considered forefeiting the match, but one it would be troublesome to deal with Ino and Asuma...secondly he couldn't bring himself to just forfeit a match to a girl.

He ran a hand through his spiky hair.

"No way around it...what a drag" he complained as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rather than leaping down onto the lower level took the stairs down.

"Go get her SHIKAAAMAARRUU!" Ino cried as she trust her fist out enthusiastically.

"Troublesome blonde..." he murmured to himself as he slowly walked down the stairs.

'Whatever I do I must never marry a blonde..or a pretty girl...just some average girl maybe with brown hair...have two kids then retire and live out my days playing Shogi' he mused to himself as this line of thought while tiresome wasn't as troublesome as this match would likely be.

On the Balcony above Temari sneezed. 'Hmm I wonder if I have a cold...maybe this cooler weather ' she mused to herself.

Finally two minutes after the pairing had been called Shikamaru finally stood across from his opponent with a lazy look in his eye.

"You two may begin when you are ready" Hayate said as he stepped backwards.

Shikamaru remained standing in his lazy pose as he seemed more interested in day dreaming then the girl in front of him.

"Heh you seem like you already wanna throw in the towel...don't let me stop you" she said as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a series of senbon.

"Yeh your right...but to be honest...it would be too troublesome for me to forefeit here." He replied before yawning.

"Well then I'll make this quick." she replied before she pulled back her hand and threw a pair of senbon at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru heard a ringing sound and ducked to the side avoiding one senbon only to be caught in the shoulder by a second one. His eyes quickly looked over the two senbon processing what his opponent's strategy in seconds.

'I see she attaches a bell to some of her Senbon...when the Brain interprets the sound wave from the senbon with bells the victims attention tends to only focus on that senbon with alone ignoring the Shadow senbon that are thrown without bells. In order to fight this hearing alone won't be sufficient...what a drag' he thought to himself.

Series after series of more senbon were thrown...with every volley she'd throw Shikamaru would now avoid them before slowly moving forward forcing her to move backwards away from the center of the room and closer to the far wall.

"I see you've already figured out how my technique works." she mused aloud before smiling.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeh after your first attack...but I'm sure you have some other troublesome ability don't you ?" he asked as he looked tired of this match already.

Kin's eyebrow twitched. 'It's like this guy would rather take a nap then be here...how did he even make it this far' she wondered to herself.

"You could say that...you see you've been able to see through my attacks when there's just one of me throwing a few senbon...however how will you fare when your mind has no idea how many of me there actually are?" she said smiling as he raising one of her senbon with bells and began to shake it as she applied chakra at the same time. In addition to further confuse Shikamaru she used her off hand to began shaking another bell that she had already thrown by pulling at thin string.

The result of these bells ringing began to take a toll on Shikamaru. He suddenly saw multiple Kin's all of which were now raising senbon preparing to strike him.

Shikamaru who was now crouching formed a few handsigns moments before she could release her senbon upon him. However she froze a split second before she could do so as a look of surprise crossed her face.

"Heh Shadow Possession success" he said as he stood up.

"B-but how...when did you? " she stammered.

Shikamaru . "It was simple enough...you gave me a perfect cover after all." he said as he held out his hand and she mimicked the action. He opened his hand wide and as she mirrored it the senbon that were in her hand fell to the floor.

"What are you talking about? " she demanded as she tried in vain to move.

"Your string...I created a shadow and moved it under the string attached to your other bell... you didn't even realize it...but from where that string was being held it wouldn't even cast a shadow...but under the circumstances it never dawned on you." Shikamaru said as he reached into his kunai pocket and pulled out a shuriken at the same time she mirrored the action.

He walked her backwards a few feet before he pulled back his arm and she did the same.

"You idiot with me mirroring your actions as long as you dodge my Shuriken ...I'll dodge yours as well...you can't win this way. " she said.

"Yeh you normally would be right but that's not how I intend to win." he stated lazily as he flicked his wrist and in turn she did so as well as both of their shuriken were launched towards one another.

Shikamaru bent backwards to avoid the shuriken as Kin did the same...however as she mirrored his action her head collided into the wall knocking her instantly unconcious.

"What a drag" he muttered as he put his hands in his pockets and began his slow walk towards the stairs.

Hayate shook his head before speaking.

"Winner Shikamaru Nara" he stated.

With no time being wasted moments after Shikamaru had reached the stairs and Kin had been carried away, the board began to shuffle the remaining names again.

The Next Pairing could be seen a few moments later.

* * *

Temari No Sabaku Vs TenTen

The ensuing fight proved to be the most one sided fight thus far.

Though neither Kunoichi was by any means weak, TenTen found herself fighting an enemy in which her fighting style was all but ineffective.

The fight lasted less then five minutes as TenTen implored every weapon from her robust arsenal only to have them scattered and knocked away by Temari's fan and powerful wind techniques.

The Wind Mistress finally brought the match to a close as she caught TenTen within a powerful Cyclone before dropping her upon her closed fan instantly knocking her unconscious.

"Winner Temari No Sabaku" he stated.

Rock Lee landed to catch TenTen before she could be thrown down upon her own scattered weapons by Temari.

Hayate narrowed his eyes as he looked at Temari.

"Temari No Sabaku you are the Winner of this Match...however you should know there are regulations...in regards to trying to kill an opponent after you've already been declared the winner. Try that again and you'll be disqualified...you should show more respect to your fellow Ninja no matter what village they may be from." he said.

Temari just rolled her eyes as she turned away and began to make her way to the stairs. "Whatever" she stated as she climbed the stairs before taking her spot next to Gaara.

A silence settled over the room as the board began to flicker to life again.

After a few moments it came to a stop revealing the next pair.

* * *

Shino Aburame vs Ino Yamanaka

"Interesting" Shino remarked as he adjusted his glasses before coolly flipped over the railing landing silently as he awaited his opponent to join him.

"Good luck Shino Man! let's go for 3 for 3 cus you know I'm gonna win my match" Kiba yelled before flashing a toothy grin at his friend.

Sakura shook her head before calling out to Shino. "Good luck Shino-kun ! Kick Ino-pig's butt" she said before flashing Ino a grin.

Kurenai just groaned. 'When will they grow up' she wondered to herself.

Ino's eyebrow twitched as she shot Sakura a glare. "Oh it's so on Forehead..." she seethed before she looked at Shikamaru and then Asuma.

"Well aren't the two of you going to wish me goodluck?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"I considered it...but since your asking for it now...it's too troublesome" Shikamaru remarked before he leaned back against the railing.

"Ino just be careful...Shino is very calculating...don't let him control the fight" Asuma advised.

"No worries..I'll be fine" she said before she leaped over the railing and landed softly on her feet before she strode over towards the center of the room before stopping about 20 feet away from Shino.

"As a fellow leaf Ninja I wish you the best of luck Ino-san" Shino said quietly as he looked at the platinum blonde in front of him.

"Same to you Bug boy" she said with an exuberant smile.

"There are times...when Ino can be such a blockhead...I'm beginning to wonder if's she's becoming a second Naruto." Sakura muttered to Kiba.

"Eh I can see what you mean...that's a scary thought believe it!." he commented before howling with laughter.

Naruto who had only caught his named blinked in confusion as he looked at the pair that stood a few feet away.

'Eh what am I missing ?' he thought as he scratched his head in confusion.

Sasuke snorted as he heard their conversation while little Hinata was having her own ...interesting thoughts.

'A world with Two Naruto's...' she flushed deeply at the little fantasy that played in her head.

'Bug boy? I would normally feel insulted...but I think that was her idea of being kind' Shino thought to himself.

"The Two of you may begin when your ready" Hayate stated.

Ino crouched forming a strange handsign.

Shino quirked an eyebrow curious as to her first maneuver as he took a guarded stance as he held his left sleeve downwards as he began to let some his beetles out discreetly onto the ground hoping to use them later in the match.

Shino flipped backwards to analyze the situation and was about to implore his first technique when he heard Ino call out.

"Mind possession Jutsu" however whatever she effect she had intended was far from the result as she doubled over in pain.

As she finally looked up she found a kunai at her neck and Shino standing directly over her.

"I can only imagine that your ability would be very useful on most opponents, however having thousands of minds that are apart of me makes take control of my body exceedingly difficult." he stated.

Ino groaned and could help blushing. She felt so embarrassed to be beaten so quickly.

'I can't believe I lost out to forehead' she thought glumly.

Hayate held out his hand after a moment.

"Winner Shino Aburame" he stated.

* * *

"Shino man what the hell was that ? You were suppose to do something cool, that was a lame fight." Kiba huffed as he crossed his arms and stared at the bug user.

Shino sighed. "There is little need in revealing all of my abilities now. It will give me an advantage in the finals." he stated before adjusting.

"Shit you could have at least done something a little bit more flashy" Kiba muttered as he put his hands behind his head.

Kurenai smiled. "A very wise choice Shino it shows how mature you are..." she said softly.

"That's nice and all...but I still intend to kick ass when it's my turn" Kiba muttered.

"Kiba if your curse one more time in front of me...I'll tell Hana and your mother...and I'm sure both of them would be more than willing to wash your mouth out with soap." she said as an evil glint crossed her eyes.

"You w-wouldn't Sensei" he sputtered.

"Try me " she said in sickly sweet voice.

Ino had a pout on her face as she made her way up the stairs and back towards her spot beside Shikamaru and Asuma.

'Well that sucked' she thought as she crossed her arms.

"Hey cheer up kiddo... like I said not many your age get this far." Asuma said.

"I didn't realize just how much better everyone else is gotten..." she said somewhat sadly.

"I'll see to it that we double our training efforts after the exams then." Asuma said before offering her a smile.

'Troublesome' Shikamaru thought as he leaned lazily against the rail.

Ino returned Asuma's smile halfheartedly as she like the rest of the Genin returned her attention back to the board curious as to who among the remaining genin would fight next...

The Board begin to once again shuffle the remaining Ninja, at this point the tension was running high for the remaining competitors.

Finally however the board came to a stop.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki Vs Kiba Inuzuka

"Phew that's a relief isn't it Akamaru...and here I thought we might have to end up fighting Neji or that scary sand guy." Kiba remarked as he howled in laughter before he sprung over the balcony and landed in a crouch.

Kurenai and Sakura groaned at Kiba's rude display...while Shino glanced over at Team 7 that stood a few feet away.

"Finally it's my turn" Naruto exclaimed happily as he threw his hand up in the air.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he looked intently at the blonde.

Naruto looked over at the raven haired Ninja before speaking. "Huh what's up?" he asked.

"You'd better win your match...your one of the people I want to fight most in the finals." he stated before offering the blonde a smirk.

"Heh of course I'll win...I'm the future Hokage after all" he said cheekily as he gripped the railing as he prepared to jump down to the floor before however before he could do so he felt a small hand on his jacket.

He looked back to see Hinata with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Eh what's wrong Hinata-chan?" he asked with a worried expression.

"A-ano...it's n-nothing just do your best.. I believe in you N-naruto-kun"she said softly as her pale lavender eyes looked into his cerulean orbs for a moment.

He offered her one of his sincere smiles as he nodded before squeezing her hand. "You betcha Hinata...I'll be back in no time" he whispered before he flashing her one more grin before he turned and sprang over the balcony landing rather ungracefully on the ground as his legs were spread wide before he readjusted himself.

"So this should be a pretty one sided match don't you think Shikamaru ?" Ino asked as she elbowed him in the side.

Shikamaru grumbled. "I couldn't say...we haven't really had a chance to see much of team 7 or 8 since graduation except in passing. I wouldn't underestimate them Ino...though it's a drag to admit it, both of their teams got here a few days ago...we only made it here yesterday" he remarked.

"What I meant is what real chance does Naruto have against any of us? he was the dead last of our class...I mean it's only been a few months since then... I don't see how he could have improved enough to have a chance even against Kiba." Ino said before flipping her hair.

"Heh the same could be said for some of us Ino...look around...no one is the same as they were at graduation. A few months ago Sakura wouldn't have been able to win her match against that sand guy." he stated bluntly.

Ino huffed before pouting. "So you really think this match could go either way?" she asked.

Shikamaru. "yeah I do...but I have a feeling I know who will win..." he said as he lazily leaned against the railing.

'Something has changed in his eyes...he's still troublesome...but beneath that there's a fire..one that wasn't nearly as strong as it is now...I wonder how much he has grown since then.' Shikamaru mused to himself.

"Shikamaru who ?" Ino drawled as she pressed him for an answer.

"It would be too troublesome to explain and it would an even bigger drag if I'm wrong...so just watch." he said as he turned his attention to the ground below.

'Uzumaki...spill his blood and prove your existence to me...it will only make it more satisfying when I spill your blood for mother soon' Gaara thought as he began twitching in excitement as his hands gripped the railing as he stared with a psychotic grin towards the blonde.

Temari felt her heart hammer in her chest as she hesitantly took a step away from Gaara before glancing down towards Kiba and Naruto.

'What has Gaara so...on edge...surely it's not one of those two idiots' she thought as she looked them over critically before dismissing them again.

"Who do you think will win this youthful fight Neji ?"Lee asked loudly as he pumped his fist in the air as he was growing restless waiting for his own match.

Neji cast a sideways glare at his annoying teammate. "Uzumaki has no chance...he is the deadlast of his class and is no a talented loser" he stated coldly before he turned his attention back to the ring.

Lee's enthusiasm subsided a bit as he felt that he could relate with Naruto all to well. 'I don't know if your the same as me Naruto-kun other than us both being deadlasts...but if you and I are anything alike...I'm sure you won't let anything stop you from being a splendid Ninja no matter how hard it may be. I wish you luck and hope you that you prove Neji and those who doubt you wrong' he thought before a grin spread across his face.

Gai remained silent though he much like Lee hoped that Naruto would prove Neji's assumptions wrong.

"I'm not going to go easy on you Naruto just because you were last in our class." Kiba said with a toothy grin as Akamaru leaped off of his head and onto the ground next to him.

"Heh you shouldn't underestimate me Kiba...I'm no longer the Dobe you and rest of our class remembers." Naruto said as he flashed Kiba a serious look.

"Even if what you say is true...I doubt you could have grown that much in such a short time." Kiba remarked.

"I guess we'll see"Naruto replied cryptically as a glint of mischief crossed his eyes.

"NARUTO-KUN MAY THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHT AS THE SUN IN YOU!" Lee cried from the balcony in return receiving some funny reactions from the other genin and a glare from Neji.

Naruto sweat dropped. 'Thanks Lee...I have no idea what any of that stuff means...but I think that was a good thing.' he thought as he scratched his head sheepishly before flashing Lee a grin and a thumbs up.

Hayate coughed. "If the two of you are done...let's get on with this match...you may begin when your ready." he said before flipping backwards.

Kiba instantly formed a series of quick handseals before calling out his first move. "Beast Mimickry: All Fours Jutsu" he stated before he instantly assumed a new position as he placed both of his hands on the ground and chakra began envelop him. Over the course of a few seconds his eyes grew more ferocious, his fangs elongated and finally his finger nails grew long before becoming razor sharp claws. "Akamaru hang back ...I'm going to see what he's made of first" he said in a guttural tone before his eyes focused back on Naruto.

Naruto quickly raised his fingers before crossing them in a way that was all to familiar to his teammates.

"Massive Shadow Clone Jutsu" He called out casting the room in a smokescreen for a moment as he summoned forth over a thousand shadow clones leaving many in the room bewildered. There were so many on the floor many of them were crowded or piled on top of one another...

"Impossible...he's just a genin" Kurenai whispered to herself..

'hmmm interesting...what will you do now Kiba?' Shino thought as he crossed his arms.

'This is Naruto?...he really has grown' Sakura thought as she still remained in shock at the amount of clones littering the room below.

'This kid was the deadlast of his year?' Asuma wondered as he placed his hands on the rail as he studied the horde of Naruto's below.

"Troublesome Naruto...it seems like I was right...you have have grown...what a show off " Shikamaru muttered

"Wow I guess you were right Shikamaru...who would have thought Naruto would be capable of something like this?" Ino mused aloud as she placed her hand on her hip.

Hinata smiled brightly as she looked down below. 'Your doing it Naruto...people are finally starting to acknowledge you, like I have for so long' she thought happily.

"So much for starting small and building up"Sasuke chuckled.

Kakashi eyed the fight. 'Hmmm I hope you plan to do more than overwhelm Kiba with numbers...that won't work in every situation...then again you are the most unpredictable Ninja' he thought before offering an eye smile to his other two students.

"Wow that's a lot of Narutos...seems like we won't be able to pull any punches...Akamaru front and center with me"

Immediately Akamaru was at his side.

The Horde of Narutos began to brandish Kunai as they began forming several large groups before they began to circle Kiba and Akamaru.

"Alright Akamaru let's do this" Kiba yelled before charka began to swirl around him and Akamaru

"Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Beast Human Clone" He cried.

A poof of smoke appeared around the pair and as it cleared their was no sign of Akamaru's as it seemed there were now Two Kiba as one crouched on all fours on the second Kiba's back.

"Ok let's see what those horde of clone rejects can do" one of the Kiba's said as both of the Kiba's sprang forward and an accelerated speed as they began shredding a hole through the ranks of Naruto's on the floor.

The next fifteen minutes ticked by as the pair whittled rank after rank of Narutos away.

"Fang over Fang" Kiba cried as he and Akamaru for the countless time launched into the air spiraling like a drill through another several dozen clones.

As the pair landed Kiba growled as he looked over still seeing a little over fifty clones remaining.

"Dammit Naruto ...what are you playing at? your running out of clones...your smell is all over this room...I will find which of you that remains is the real one." he stated in a growl as he began to pant deeply.

"OOoooi KIBA it's me" cried one of the Clones.

"No way it's totally me" another said waving at Kiba.

"Their both lying it's me" a third clone declared before shooting Kiba a raspberry

"Damn you Naruto...I will get you." he growled as he darted in swinging his claws furiously as Akamaru followed his lead while still in the form of Kiba.

"Is Naruto afraid to fight Kiba or what?" Ino asked frowning.

"Hardly...Naruto has already won this match" Shikamaru stated lazily.

"How so?" Ino asked bewildered.

"Look Naruto seems to have a crazy amount of Chakra and Stamina...wherever the real Naruto is...he probably hasn't broken a sweat yet...however Kiba has already spent so much Chakra on all those clones ...and will soon be physically exhausted...but to make matters worse...Kiba is now angry and his moves are getting sloppy..."

"Huh I can't believe Naruto is capable of planning something that Smart." Ino remarked.

"Knowing Naruto...it's probably tied to some sort of prank..he's probably getting a big kick out of this...he's such a pain at times." Shikamaru muttered.

Five minutes later

Kiba began panting deeply and at about the same time Akamaru collapsed before transforming back to his normal state. Kiba gritted his teeth.

'Akamaru is spent and I'm not far behind him...that damn prankster...there are still ten of him left... I have to stand and finish them off before I completely run out of energy' he thought as he slowly stood.

"I don't know why your dragging this along Naruto...but I will find you." he growled as he summoned from his reserves of chakra before lunging forward into the remaining Naruto's with strike after strike

Kiba's howled in delight as he finally cornered the remaining Naruto before lunging forward with a powerful strike with his claws. However what he didn't expect was for that Naruto to go poof as well.

"WHAT? " he cried as he began looking around utterly confused...many others in the room seemed equally surprised as the blonde seemed to have simply disappeared without a trace.

"Oi I'm guessing your looking for me Eh Kiba?" Naruto voice could be heard from a distance.

Kiba and even on those on the Balcony looked upwards at the high vaulted ceiling to see Naruto hanging from the ceiling by using chakra applied to his feet.

"How and when did you get up there ?"Kiba yelled as as clenched his hands together.

"Oh from the beginning...I used the smokescreen provided when my clones were first created and even my clones helped by launching me up here. Though i'd like to come down now I'm starting to get really dizzy" he said before laughing as he scratched the back of his head.

"Dammit...this entire time" Kiba growled under his breath.

"Well it's time to get serious" Naruto said as he crossed his fingers again creating a dozen more shadow clones. That were rooted by side him on the ceiling.

"Ok this is a new move...I call it Uzumaki Clone Drop" he said nodding vigorously pleased at the name while those who heard him sweat dropped.

"Alright boys now that he's weak let's finish it" Naruto yelled.

"Right On Boss" the Naruto's yelled as they kicked off as hard as they could from the ceiling and began spiraling down downwards at a super fast velocity towards the ground where Kiba was.

There was a resounded crashing and popping sound as the Clones slammed into the ground kicking up dust and dirt into the air.

Kiba grunted as he was now lying prone on the ground he spit up some blood as he somehow managed to summon his strength as he prepared to stand back up, however before he could do so he so a single flash of Orange blurring towards him.

'Oh shit' was the last thing Kiba thought before Naruto Knee was buried into his gut and coughed up more blood...this time he couldn't find the strength to rise.

Naruto who now stood beside him inclined his head. "Your strong Kiba...I'm sorry for being so sneaky...to be honest I was worried you and Akamaru would be faster then me and have me beat in a normal Taijutsu match...so I had to figure out how to wear you both down." he said as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Kiba coughed before forcing a smile. "Heh you really are the most unpredictable Ninja...you better do well in the finals or I'll look bad" he chuckled weakly.

"Count on it" Naruto said as he flashed him a smile.

Hayate approached the pair and shook his head. "Winner Naruto Uzumaki" he said before coughing.

'What an interesting kid' he thought as he looked at the blonde.

"Hey Kiba...we'll train sometime soon alright ?" Naruto said before he patted the dog user on the shoulder as Akamaru approached his master and licked his face.

"Count on it" Kiba replied weakly before he lost consciousness.

Naruto put his hands behind his head as he strolled towards the stairs whistling a happy tune...of course about half the way up the stairs he threw his fist in the air before yelling.

"Woohoo I won" he exclaimed beaming happily.

'Uzumaki why do you seem so different than me...why did you not kill that weakling and prove your existence...how is it you are the way you are?' Gaara wondered as his gaze never left the blonde.

"Nice one Naruto...but next time try not to put me to sleep" Sasuke said smirking at the blonde.

"No chance...the next time you and I might be the ones fighting" Naruto said with a huge grin.

"Hn" Sasuke replied as he turned away and began to study the board as he waited for it to began shuffling the remaining names.

"Nice Job Naruto" Kakashi said before offering an eye smile at the boy.

"Thanks Kakashi-Sensei " he responded happily.

"C-congratulations N-naruto-kun" Hinata said softly offering him a shy smile as she blushed faintly.

"Thanks Hinata-chan" he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly before spinning around in circles holding her.

"Woo if you win your match Hinata...all of us get to go to the finals together" he cheered.

Hinata blushed redder then any tomato as she nearly fainted from the attention she and Naruto were receiving from his outburst.

Sasuke grunted. "Chill idiot before Hinata dies of embarrassment or you miss something interesting...or don't you want to see the next match up?"

The Blonde stopped spinning Hinata around before his eyes widened as he studied the next pairing...

Neji Hyuuga Vs Zaku Abumi


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto leaned against the railing as he studied Neji and Zaku as they made their way to the preliminary arena below.

"Oi is it bad that I'm not rooting for a leaf Ninja ?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hnn Normally I'd say yes...but in Neji's case...I feel the same way" Sasuke muttered as he too joined Naruto as the pair watched the two below take their positions across from one another.

Kakashi looked at the duo curiously, before he turned his attention back to his book.

Hinata bit her lip as she fiddled with her fingers. 'Nii-san' she thought as her pale lavender gaze turned to the battle that was about to begin.

* * *

"The two of you may begin " Hayate announced before falling silent.

Neji stared at the boy in front of him without uttering a word. Unlike his previous encounters he had little to no knowledge of what to expect, though he was sure that his opponent would quickly fall to his mastery of the gentle style.

"Well your a quiet one...maybe your afraid...if that's the case I'll make sure to take my time picking you apart." Zaku stated with arrogance.

"Ah it seems I was mistaken after all...I thought you might actually make for a decent fight, but it seems the only thing your capable of is hiding behind your own insecurities with a false bravado...you should surrender now your fate has already been decided" Neji stated as a dark smirk spread across his lips as he held two fingers out before calling out.

"Byakugan" Immediately veins began bulging around Neji's eyes as his vision increased exponentially.

Zaku body tensed as he clenched his fist before springing forward...as he was in mid jump he opened his palms and pointed them towards Neji before yelling out.

"Decapitating Airwaves"

Immediately a powerful torrent of supersonic air erupted from the Sound Ninja's palms and begin hurling towards Neji.

Neji slammed the ground with a palmstrike enhanced with Chakra to force himself backwards and away from Zaku's deadly airwave.

The attack collided into the floor where the Leaf Nin had been moments before and shattered the reinforced floor with relative ease.

'Interesting he utilizes the tubes in his arms to produces those airwaves with precise chakra control. However he can hide nothing from me or the Byakugan' Neji thought as he took the Gentle Style stance as his eyes still remained fixed on Zaku.

"Heh well your pretty quick on your toes...but you have no chance against me " Zaku stated as he stared at Neji.

Neji's cold gaze remained unwavering. "And why do you assume that?"

"Because I know a little bit about you Hyuuga...I know that you're experts of Taijutsu and to fight hand to hand with you would be stupid, but you see your Taijutu means nothing if you can't get to me."he smirked as he raised his palms up before focusing chakra again.

"Decapitating Airwaves" he yelled again as the superpowered winds errupted from his palms and hurled towards Neji slicing the ground it came in contact with as it neared the Leaf Prodigy.

Neji flipped to the side avoiding the attack before he darted forward trying to close distance on the Sound Ninja.

Zaku continued firing wave after wave at the Prodigy all of which proved ineffective as Neji proved to be fast enough to avoid being hit. Slowly Neji began to press forward till he was only fifteen feet feet away from the Sound Ninja.

'Dammit...he's getting too close...it's time to finish this...I really wanted to save this for the Finals...but there's no choice' he thought as he began summoning more chakra than before as he held his palms outward again towards the approaching Neji.

'He's focusing more Chakra then before...at this range I won't be able to dodge such an attack...there's no choice' Neji thought to himself.

"Extreme Decapitating Airwaves" Zaku yelled as the entire room shook as a massive torrent erupted from his palms and hurled forward threatening anything that was on this floor...the tiles on the floor and the nearby walls began to crack under the pressure as it darted towards Neji.

The Hyuuga stopped as he took his Gentle-Style again before he held his palms out and began to rotate.

"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation" He called out.

As the Airwaves collided into the Rotation there was deafening boom as dust and smoke was kicked up in the air from the point of impact.

Zaku held his arms out panting. 'Did I...' his thought was cut short as Neji lunged from the smoke and struck both of his shoulders momentarily surprising him however he remained standing now only a foot from Neji as the attack didn't seem to have much force behind it.

Zaku's eyes widened as he looked at Neji who was completely unscathed. 'Impossible...' he thought before he returned to his senses as he raised his palms towards Neji's face and smirked.

"You failed Hyuuga...I can still feel the Chakra in my arms...now it's over" Zaku Laughed as he began to summon chakra for another airwave.

Neji surprisingly remained unmoving as he seemed almost bored.

Zaku's laughs began to cease as his arms began to bulge unnaturally and chakra began to pour out from his arms. As blood began to seep out of arms he screamed as he fell to the ground and writhed in agony.

"What...what did you do?" he screamed as he cried in pain.

"Simple...you claim to know something of the Hyuuga...but you only know a fraction of what the Hyuuga are...rather than shutting off your chakra I redirected the flow and actually increased the output in your arms. I analyzed your arms and realized your attack requires precision and control...with so much extra chakra coursing through your arms...I knew the pressure would prove too much for the tubes in your arms and would ultimately leave you like this" Neji stated coldly.

"Y-you Bastard" Zaku growled as his vision began to blur from the blood loss and intense pain.

"Now I imagine you see that it was your fate to lose to me" Neji stated as he turned and began to walk towards the stairs as he deactivated his byakugan.

Hayate shook his head slightly as medics quickly filed into the room.

"Winner Neji Hyuuga"

* * *

Naruto clenched the railing .

"That guy...someone needs to kick his ass" Naruto growled.

Sasuke's eyes remained focused on Neji as he said nothing.

Hinata's eyes were downcast as she thought of her Cousin. 'Nii-san will you ever let go of your hate?' she wondered sadly.

"Neji-kun...it was most unyouthful how you defeated your opponent, but nevertheless Congratulations on making the finals."Gai said as he offered Neji and nice guy pose only to have Neji offer a grunt in return.

"Gai-Sensei...I hope it is I that fights next...I wish to show that my fire burns bright and impress Sakura-chan in the process" Lee exclaimed excitedly as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Lee you are most youthful and I'm sure that young Sakura will be enraptured by your flames of youth" Gai declared as he looked at his student and smiled brilliantly.

"GAI-Sensei"

"LEE"

"Gai-Sensei"

"LEE"

This went on for several moments before the pair hugged each other.

Across from the pair Sakura cringed as she looked over at Shino.

"Being around those two is reason enough for someone like Neji to be in a bad mood all the time" she whispered.

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I agree" he murmured quietly.

* * *

With the 8th Match completed it left but 5 individuals remaining.

Hinata,Gaara,Kabuto, Lee, and Misumi.

Naruto and Sasuke shared as look as they watched the board nervously...both of them were afraid for Hinata if she ended up having to fight Gaara.

However to their relief the next pairing could be seen after a few moments...putting their worries to rest.

Sabaku No Gaara Vs Misumi Tsurugi

Kabuto kept his false mask as he looked over at his teammate with a concerned expression, who was currently looking at the Sand Genin in terror.

"Misumi..." Kabuto said quietly.

Misumi looked over at Kabuto before nodding as he raised his hand.

"Proctor...I should have said something earlier when you asked...but my Chakra reserves are still low and against such an opponent I would most certainly lose...I resign." he stated simply earning some shocked looks from the surrounding Genin.

Hayate groaned. "Fine by Forefeit... Sabaku No Gaara is the Winner of this match." He stated.

Gaara's ice blue gaze narrowed dangerously as he stared at Misumi from across the balcony.

'Mother begs for the coward's blood... and she shall have it soon' he thought as he smiled a devilish maddened grin towards Misumi who in return looked away as he felt terrified under the Jinchuriki's gaze.

'Excellent...now no one will now what Gaara is truly capable of till the Finals.' Baki thought as he crossed his arms.

'I wonder Orochimaru-Sama if you have been somehow dictating how these fights would be assigned.' Kabuto wondered as he took his glasses off before he began to delicately clean the lenses.

Hayate looked up at the board. "Without any further ado...this is the 10th and final match of the Preliminary rounds" he stated as the last 3 names began to be shuffled.

After but a few seconds the names came to a stop revealing the final match.

Hinata Hyuuga vs Kabuto Yakushi

Hayate nodded before he turned to look up at a deeply depressed Lee.

"Rock Lee...by default you will be moving forward to the finals. Now if the two of you will join me down here we can finally bring this preliminary stage to an end." he stated before coughing.

Kabuto nodded as he lightly gripped the rail of the balcony.

'I see so my theory was correct...you wish for me to see what your future prospect is capable of' he thought before leaping over the balcony landing softly on his feet.

'Very well Master...we shall soon see if this meek girl is truly worthy to become your future host' he thought as he brushed his pants off as he looked up at the balcony trading a simple glance with the masked Orochimaru.

Orochimaru simply inclined his head as a dark glint crossed his eyes.

Hinata stared at the screen a moment in surprise before she found herself battling with her insecurities.

'No I fought to be able to make it here today...Hokage-sama even visited to remove that seal on my stomach...I can't back down now...what would Naruto-kun think of me' she thought as she fidgeted slightly.

A warm voice tickled her ear. "Hey Hinata-chan you can do this... I believe in you"

Hinata looked up to see the blonde she loved right next to her smiling a foxy grin.

"H-hai" she stammered before she reached out and hugged him tightly for a moment before pulling away as she began to grip the railing as she prepared to spring over it.

"Goodluck Imouto" Sasuke whispered almost to himself.

Hinata giggled as she spared him a glance over her shoulder before saying just as softly. "T-thankyou Nii-san"

* * *

A moment later the Hyuuga Heiress landed on her feet gracefully before she quickly approached the center of the room across from Kabuto.

She took a deep breath as she prepared to steel herself for the battle ahead...

"Perhaps she will learn her place in this match." Neji seethed aloud as he crossed his arms as his gaze remained intent on Hinata.

"Wooo GOOOo HINATA!"Naruto screamed from his position on the balcony earning some looks from those around him.

"Idiot can you shut up ? your giving me a headache"Sasuke groaned.

"Sorry Teme didn't catch that too busy rooting on Hinata" Naruto said before flashing his friend a grin.

"Blockhead" he muttered shaking his head and suppressing a smile as he looked down below.

"Goodluck Hinata-San" Kabuto said as he offered a fake smile towards the bluehaired Kunoichi.

"A-arigato and to you as well Kabuto-san" she said softly.

"The two of you may begin when you are ready..."Hayate stated before coughing as he flipped backwards away from the duo.

Hinata took her gentle-fist stance as she held her fingers out in front of her before whispering aloud. "Byakugan"

A moment passed before veins began to swell around her lavender tinted eyes.

Kabuto remained standing in a casual stance as his arms rested at his sides as he studied the girl in front of him.

'She has strength in her eyes...but her insecurities seem to hold her back...I will have to push her in order to see what she is truly capable of.' Kabuto mused as he held his left arm out and chakra began to course along it forming what looked like a blade of chakra that extended from his hand.

Hinata eyes widened as she studied his arm with her eyes.

'His chakra control ...it's... incredible...his manipulation...If only I could match it...with my own technique' she thought as she shifted slightly.

"Well Hinata-san if you aren't coming to me ...then I'll come to you" he stated with a cheerful smile before he darted forward swiftly, faster then the young Kunoichi anticipated.

His first strike almost proved a dangerous one as the Heiress managed to slap away his hand before it collided with her right shoulder. She then returned an open palm into his stomach forcing him back several feet.

She winced feeling a severe pain in her left hand and arm. 'My hand feels like it's on fire...even to close my hand or move my arm seems impossible...but how...' she wondered as she maintained her gaze on Kabuto.

"I see you realize the dangers of my Chakra Scapel...Much like your own fighting style I don't rely on forceful attacks to defeat an opponent...there's no need to when I can disable an opponent by severing their muscles and tendons from the inside' he stated.

Hinata's eyes widened. 'Then the Gentle-Fist...is almost useless against this technique...even if I block his attacks, his scalpel will still hurt me.' she thought as she felt her confidence began to wane.

'Kitten..don't give in this one may have an advantage, however you have certain abilities that can change the direction of this fight. Besides since your Hokage removed that troublesome seal, I'm here for you again' the Demoness said as she flicked her tails.

'I-I don't know...Kabuto-san has the advantage and is older and more experienced...I don't know if I can win.' she thought.

'Her will to fight is already faltering...perhaps she isn't a suitable choice for Orochimaru-Sama...' Kabuto mused.

"OI go get him Hinata-chan ! You can win this I believe in you! " Naruto cheered loudly from above bringing the young girl back to reality.

As she took a deep breath before her previous uncertainty was replaced by a fierce determination.

'Thankyou Naruto-kun...I almost gave up before even trying...but I won't back down...after all it's our Nindo.' she thought to herself as she crouched before she darted forward like a lioness.

Kabuto's eyes widened as he began to evade her incoming strikes with only a little difficulty.

'Interesting...her hesitation from before is gone...If I'm not mistaken her confidence is bolstered by Naruto, holder of the Kyuubi. It seems their closeness seems to have an impact on her will...valuable information to remember' he thought as he lost his footing for a moment only to take a strike to the stomach before flipping backwards and coughing up some blood.

'I got him...with that strike his core should be sporadic and with it his chakra control' Hinata thought though her reverie soon passed as she watched the spot she had struck quickly heal from the inside.

Kabuto offered another fake smile. "Unfortunately I am the worst opponent for you to fight Hinata-san...in addition to my chakra scalpel...I can heal parts of my body internally and externally with little difficulty...this includes reopening Tenketsu" He stated.

Hinata blanched at this. 'No...my Juken is completely useless then' she thought.

'That's not entirely true Little One...while it's true he can heal himself...watch his network...he has to expend a great deal of chakra in order to heal parts of his body. The more damage you inflict the more he will be forced to spend...you have to use that technique you've been working on...if you can score a direct hit with that...even if he is able to heal ...he won't have the energy to stand.' Kazumi stated.

'B-but I can't use that move...I can't maintain the chakra yet for it...it's too chaotic' Hinata thought as she watched as Kabuto closely before he finally darted forward.

'Hina there's no choice...it's now or never' the Demoness urged.

Hinata temporarily pushed away the Nibi's presence from her mind as she prepared to evade Kabuto's strike. However the boy disappeared before her eyes only to reappear a moment later and slam his knee into her stomach. As she began to double over she felt a scream escape her lips as Kabuto swept past her and with accurate precision severed both of her calf muscles with two quick strikes.

The Hyuuga Heiress collapsed onto the ground her legs begging her to remain there.

"I do apologize Hinata-san...but it does seem...this match is over' Kabuto stated as he readjusted his glasses.

'It seems you are a waste after all' Kabuto mused to himself.

'No...not like this not in front of the one I love... I have to get back up...I have to fight' Hinata thought as she tried to force herself to her feet only to have pain surge through her legs.

Hinata could swear she heard Naruto's screams from above though it seemed to be covered by the beating in her ear.

'Little One...I'll lend you my strength...we can win this...but you have to trust me.' Nibi whispered.

Hinata closed her eyes deciding mentally on her choice.

Hayate prepared to cross over and call the match...however before he could do so...Hinata began to stagger to her feet ever so slowly. Her himecut blue hair slightly obscured her eyes as she finally rose completely to her feet.

Kabuto quirked a brow in surprise as he looked at the Heiress.

"That's impossible...you shouldn't be able to stand after that attack." he said aloud.

Hinata took a deep breath as she held out her right arm before pulling it backwards.

Kabuto and the rest of those who watched the Heiress watched in wonder as blue chakra began to pour out and surround her right arm. After a few moments the chakra began to take shape forming the mouth of a Lion that extended past her right fist.

She began to pant as the shape began to waver as the chakra began to grow sporadic.

'I-I can't maintain this...I need your help' Hinata said to her tenant.

'You will have my strength little one' The Nibi purred as a purple chakra began to emerge from the petite hyuuga. The new Chakra began to swirl around her right arm and seemed to stabilize the Hinata's chaotic blue chakra, after a few seconds the two chakra's began to blend together to form a violet chakra that seemed to be much more stable. The Violet Lion that could now be seen emerging from her fist and arm seemed to radiate an intense amount of chakra.

Hinata tightened her fist as she pulled her arm back a bit further as she crouched leaving her left arm that seemed to be still damaged to hang by her side.

'Incredible...what a concentration of chakra...I need to disable her other arm immediately.' Kabuto thought to himself.

Hinata darted forward with her right arm cocked back preparing to strike...as she closed distance with Kabuto and prepared to make contact, his left arm struck out attempting to hit her right shoulder to disable her arm...however before he could make contact..Hinata intercepted his hand as she grabbed it with her own left hand...wincing slightly as his scalpel began damaging her left hand...though she never relinquished her grasp as she brought her right arm around to hit the boy with all the strength she could muster.

"Gentle Step : Violet Lion Fist" She cried as she buried her right fist deep into Kabuto's stomach. The boy in question's eyes widened as he felt nothing but a sensory overload of pain sweep through his entire body before a blast as the violet chakra scorched his stomach and he was launched back in a blur against the far wall. He smashed into the wall violently leaving a large crack at the point of impact.

As he slid down the wall a smile could be seen on his face.

'It seems that I was mistaken...this girl is special after all' he thought before he coughed up blood before he began to heal himself from the inside out.

Hinata stood there panting. 'W-we actually did it' she thought.

Kabuto finally weakly raised his arm from his place against the wall.

"Heh..proctor...I could stand...but after that last attack I'm all out of chakra...I forfeit" Kabuto said.

Hayate nodded before he held his arm out.

"Very well then...Winner Hinata Hyuuga" he announced to a very quiet room before several of the leaf genin including Naruto began to cheer.

"Way to go Hinata!" Naruto cried as he leaned against the railing and pumped up his fist, the blonde lost his balance and nearly fell however Kakashi who was still looking down at Hinata reached out and grabbed the young boy's collar.

Sasuke sighed as he shook his head but smiled as the Heiress began to climb the stairs slowly with a small smile on her face.

Neji's eyes stared at his Cousin in surprise but still anger coursed through his system.

'She held back against me...but it means little she is still inferior with the gentle-fist and I will make her embrace her fate' Neji thought before he and the remaining Genin turned their attention to the floor below.

"Now that we have concluded the Preliminary Rounds...I need all of the winners to join me down here...Hokage-sama will explain the next portion of the exams" Hayate stated.

"Well done all of you...you should be proud of your prowess...all of you will now be moving on to the next exam which will take place in one month from now." Sarutobi stated as he looked over all the finalists.

"Oi JiJi why are waiting so long ?" Naruto asked before frowning.

Sarutobi shook his head. "To give each and everyone of you time to recover and to do some last minute training...as many of you have revealed abilities during the preliminaries this period of time will give you a chance to grow and prepare for your upcoming matches." he stated.

The Genin gathered seemed to process this a moment as no one said anything, taking this as a cue Sarutobi continued.

"Now these finals will take place in the Chunin Arena here in Konoha...thousands of people, including nobles and feudal lords will be attending to see you all. Unlike the system used here in the preliminaries each of you will draw numbers and fight the number coordinating to yours...in the following rounds the remaining finalists will be shuffled randomly...Keep in mind that going into this final portion of the exams...that you will no longer need to win to possibly receive a promotion to Chunin. The proctors will grade each of your fights and determine who demonstrates the qualities required for a Chunin. Since we do have an odd number entering the finals one of you will receive a pass and will not fight until the second round of the finals." Sarutobi said garnering nothing but silence and an excited Rock Lee that prayed he would not receive the same fate twice.

"Now if each of you would approach Hayate and draw a number we can determine who you will fight in the first round of the finals." Sarutobi stated.

One by one each of the Genin approached Hayate and drew numbers.

"Sweet I'm Number One" Naruto exclaimed with glee as he held up his piece of paper.

"Yosh I'm Number Four" Lee declared with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

"I'm Six" Temari stated simply as she crossed her arms.

"Eight here..." Shino said very quietly

"I have Three" Sasuke stated simply.

"I'm Ten" Neji said coolly.

"What a drag I'm five...and it means I have to fight another troublesome girl and a blonde no less" Shikamaru said murmuring the last part to himself but still receiving a glare from a certain sand Kunoichi that stood only a few feet away.

"I have the second slot" Dosu replied simply as he cast a look at the blonde that stood several feet away.

"Ah look Hinata I have to fight a mummy" Naruto whispered into her ear as he shivered slightly before casting a look at Dosu causing the girl in question to giggle.

"Looks like I have to fight you Shino I have number seven" Sakura said frowning as she looked over at her team mate.

"That is actually a relief Sakura-san either way one our team members will be guaranteed to make it to the second round." he said.

Sakura smiled. "I suppose when you look at it that way...it doesn't sound so bad" she replied.

"Eleven" Gaara said simply before he clenched his fist in annoyance. 'Be patient mother...I will feed you soon' he promised as he closed his eyes momentarily.

"A-ano I have Number Nine" Hinata said quietly who instantly paled as she realized what that meant for her...

The nearby proctors began to scribble down the names on a separate board as slowly but surely the board began to fill up revealing each of the matches that lay ahead for the first round of the Finals...

1. Naruto Uzumaki Vs Dosu Kinuta

2. Sasuke Uchiha Vs Rock Lee

3. Shikamaru Nara Vs Sabaku No Temari

4. Sakura Haruno Vs Shino Aburame

5. Hinata Hyuuga Vs Neji Hyuuga

Sabaku No Gaara receives first round pass.

Each of the remaining genin began to look around at one another as they studied who they would be fighting in one short month...

One thing was for sure...all bets were off regarding who would walk away the winner...


	13. Chapter 13

The following day Team 7 finds themselves in the midst of their training ground, being told how they will train for the following month, before the exams begin. Naruto for one is less then pleased by what he is being told.

"Kakashi-Sensei this is stupid...why does Sasuke get to train with you while Hinata and me have to go train with some old hermit ?"Naruto yelled as he stared at Kakashi.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers as she looked between her boyfriend and her Sensei.

Sasuke just groaned before crossing his arms.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto for the third time he's not a hermit he's a Sage and a very powerful one at that. Much like I think I can best prepare Sasuke within the next Month and help him learn how to better use his Sharingan, I believe this Sage will be able to best prepare you two for the finals." he explained.

Naruto folded his arms across his chest still looking unconvinced while Hinata spoke up.

"Ano Sensei why do you think he'll be able to help us ?" Hinata asked.

"For one he knows a thing or two about Bijuu and secondly he was the one who trained the Fourth Hokage." he offered hoping that would change Naruto's demeanor.

Naruto's expression did a reversal as he jumped to his feet.

"Well what are we waiting for ? Where is this old guy?" he asked stars in his eyes.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "He was seen near the hot springs a short time ago and technically speaking he doesn't know your coming. However he's an old friend and I'm fairly certain he'll help out." he said offering an eye smile.

Naruto face vaulted before he lifted his head up again. "Well me and Hinata-chan will convince him to train us and be ready to kick ass by the time we're done training." he said before pumping his fist into the air.

Hinata giggled before she spoke again. "Ano...why is the Sage at the Hot springs ?" she asked blinking as she noticed Kakashi seemed on the verge of giggling.

"Well he's quite eccentric...just ask around for Jiraiya the Toad Sage and you should be able to find him." he said.

"Oi Hinata I have a bad feeling about this." he exclaimed.

* * *

"Ano...Naruto-kun I-I think I found him." Hinata said quietly before pointing at an old man who could be seen crouched peeking through a hole in a wooden fence into the Hotsprings beyond.

Naruto's eye twitched as he folded his arms and stomped over towards the man. "Oi you old pervert are you the Toad Hermit?" Naruto yelled. Instantly the man was gone before reappearing in front of Naruto and throwing a hand over his mouth.

"Woah woah kid what are you trying to do? Blow my cover...I'm in the middle of research" he said before laughing perversely for a moment.

"Ano...it seemed like you were being a lecherous, perverted old man." Hinata said as she looked mildly irritated which rare for her.

"Me a pervert?" Jiraiya said looking offended as he released Naruto.

"I"m not a pervert...I'm a Super Pervert" he declared before offering a thumbs up earning sweatdrops from the pair and a scream from behind them.

"Did you hear that? Theres a pervert around here." a few women could be heard screaming from the hotsprings behind Jiraiya before his eye twitched as he dashed forward scooping up both Naruto and Hinata and disappeared quickly around a corner and into an adjacent alleyway before he dropped the pair down before looking at them with a rather annoyed look.

"So what's the big idea brats? you ruined my research." Jiraiya said glumly.

Naruto frowned. "So much for being this cool sage Kakashi-Sensei was talking about that could train us, this guy is just an old perv" he said.

"H-hai " Hinata said sadly.

"First off I am a Sage, the greatest in fact I am Jiraiya the Toad Sage" he said striking a strange pose, before he pointed at the duo.

"Secondly I have trained the greatest Ninja to ever live." he declared.

"Finally I might be convinced to train you two pipsqueaks, but first you have to help me with something." he said before grinning widely.

"Ano...I have a bad feeling about this" Hinata whispered.

"Oi it's going to be a long month..." Naruto groaned.

* * *

Tenten was panting as she stood across from Neji. "Neji we've been at this for hours now, maybe we should to a break or go train with Lee and Gai-Sensei." she suggested.

Neji frowned as broke from his stance. "Gai-Sensei has little he can offer in the ways of improving the Gentle-Fist and Lee is inferior to me in Hand to hand combat. I won't waste my time." he stated.

Tenten sighed. She knew under all the attitude and hate there were some redeeming qualities, however it was so hard to bring out that person at times. Especially as of late with the feud between him and his cousin and the incident that had happened within his clan which was being kept such a secret.

"Neji can I ask you a question...if your set on everyone's fate why are you training so hard?" she asked as she placed a hand on her hip.

Neji stopped to glare at his teammate and prepared to retort but for the life of him he couldn't find the words to say.

Tenten crossed over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Neji we're teammates you can talk to me." she assured him.

The prodigy looked up for a moment his gaze unsure before his face grew more serious. "Tenten I have training to do, I don't have time to waste talking." he stated in an emotionless voice.

Tenten slumped her shoulders. She hoped one day someone would be able to get through to Neji.

* * *

Kankuro sat in the small apartment he was sharing with his siblings. He was currently fiddling with one of his puppets when he saw Temari making her towards the door, her large fan strapped to he back.

"Hey where you off to Sis?" he asked.

"I'm going to go do a little research on that Shikamaru guy I'm fighting, I'm not going to underestimate these leaf ninja anymore." she stated as he looked back over her shoulder at the puppet master.

"Yeah that was a lesson I learned the hard way from that pink haired brat" he complained.

"Be silent or I'll kill you both." Gaara stated from the corner of the room as he leaned against the far wall.

Both of the siblings cringed, Gaara had been even more bloodthirsty as of late, being denied a match in the prelims had done little to curb his sadistic tendencies.

Temari offered a silent wave before she backed out of the apartment leaving a nervous Kankuro behind.

* * *

"A-ano N-naruto-kun I don't think those were the kind of...fruits Jiraiya-Sensei was talking about" Hinata said before prodding her fingers together.

Naruto blinked as he looked over at his shy girlfriend as he balanced two giant melons in his hands as he tried his best to not drop them. "Eh what do you mean...these are the most ripe plump fruits we could find." he said clearly not making the connection.

Hinata's poor face grew redder as her head almost shrank into her jacket.

'Kit...you really are hopeless sometimes.' the Kyuubi groaned.

'Hey can it fluffy I'm sure that old pervert will be happy with these.' Naruto said nodding happily as he and Hinata finally arrived back to where Jiraiya sat with a perverted grin on his face.

As he soon as he saw the pair he frowned as he looked at Naruto.

"Kid please...tell me your kidding..."Jiraiya said.

"Hey these were the biggest melons I could find." Naruto exclaimed as he glared at the Toad Sage.

Hinata eeped again before shaking her head.

"I wasn't talking about fruit you blockhead...I was talking about pretty girls. You were suppose to bring me a pretty girl..." he said before he sat up off of the stump he was on and dusted himself off. "Well I guess I'll be going then best of luck getting ready for those exams in time." he said.

"Oi wait " Naruto exclaimed.

Jiraiya turned lazily to look back at the blonde only to see a poof of smoke and a moment later from that smoke he saw a very nude curvy blonde perhaps in her late teens with pigtails and cerulean blue eyes looking at him.

Immediately blood shot out of the pervert's nose as he began to wiggle his fingers in the middle of the air.

"hehehe that's some technique..." He said lecherously.

"Jiraiya-Sensei won't you please train us?" the blonde begged before she blinked her eyes innocently at him.

"Hehehehe sure but you have to train like that." Jiraiya said.

"Pervy old sage" Naruto mumbled before he released the jutsu and looked back over his shoulder.

"Well we did it Hinata...training here we come!" he exclaimed as he turned to a collapsed on Hinata laying on the ground with blood trickling out of her nose.

"Eh Hinata?!" he yelled.

Jiraiya was still wiping his nose courtesy of Naruto's less then modest sexy Jutsu.

"She'll be fine kid, now come on grab your little girlfriend and let's go. I have research to do so let's get this over with." Jiraiya said as he turned and began to walk off.

Naruto groaned as he leaned down and picked up Hinata.

'I can't believe this is the guy that trained the fourth...'

* * *

Temari sighed as she lowered her fan before strapping it on her back. She had looked into Shikamaru for the last several hours and found little, as far as she could discern he was nothing more then a lazy underachiever. Nothing that would give her much pause during the finals, as far as she was concerned her next move was to analyze and prepare for anyone else she could end paired against. She turned to look at the setting sun and prepared to leave the small training ground she was on, however before she could she heard footsteps behind her. As she turned she saw Baki and Kankuro walked towards her each of them with a very serious expression on their faces.

"Temari have you seen Gaara?" Baki asked before quirking an eyebrow.

Temari shook her head. "No Kankuro weren't you with him the entire evening?" she asked before looking over at her brother.

Kankuro shrugged his shoulders before sighing. "I stepped out for just a couple of minutes and when I came back he was gone." he explained.

Baki frowned. "If Gaara loses control and does something reckless the entire plan could be in jeopardy." he said pausing for a moment.

"Come we have to find him." he added before he turned and darted out of the clearing before leaping into the adjacent trees with Kankuro and Temari right behind him.

Despite their efforts the trio would search in vain for the missing Gaara for a couple of hours, before eventually returning to their apartment.

* * *

-Miles outside of Konoha in the midst of the forest-

"Where exactly do I figure into this plan Kabuto?" Misumi asked his tone bordering on annoyed.

Kabuto smirked as he pushed his glasses up for a moment before speaking. "Lord Orochimaru has altered the plans slightly" he said softly.

"How so?" Misumi asked as he studied Kabuto intently. It never ceased to amaze him how hard it was to read Kabuto's true intent.

"We will not attack in the midst of the chunin exams, rather we will wait for the following award ceremony for the newly minted Chunins. It will take place later in the evening as the the sun is beginning to set." Kabuto offered.

"Why change everything now?" Misumi asked his impatience showing in his voice.

"Because our Master wishes it...but if you wish to know the reason, he has entertained every possibility. Should the Leaf actually manage to repel our attack our goals are to shift to obtaining his new future vessels." he explained.

"And what precisely am I to do? What is it our Master has planned for me?" Misumi asked.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses once more.

"Oh you have a very important role to play Misumi...You see Gaara, our secret weapon is growing quite agitated. He needs to be able to remain calm until at least the finals arrive, but hasn't been able to really quench that thirst...Oh not since you forfeited to him in the prelims." Kabuto said impassively.

A shiver went down Misumi's spine as he felt a lump form in his throat. "B-but you said it was Lord Orochimaru's will for me to forfeit so that Gaara would remain an enigma until the Finals." he said his nerves showing in his voice.

"Ah well you see things change Misumi...I hope you understand this is nothing personal." Kabuto said offering a fake smile before he vanished into thin air.

Misumi felt his heart began to race as he looked around all over as paranoia began to set in.

"Damn you Kabuto I won't be some sacrifice to some demon." he yelled turning as he heard movement coming from the underbrush behind him.

He reached for a Kunai and stopped seeing only a raccoon emerge from the bushes.

He relaxed for a moment as he turned back around only to find a scream catch in his throat as he found himself staring into the icy blue eyes of Gaara.

"Mother has waited long enough." he said his cold voice the last words Misumi would heard before his screams would fill the night air for the next few minutes before all would fall silent again.

Gaara would return later that night without a word to his team or Sensei. However his mood had seemed to improve marginally from before, which only served to concern the trio who can only fathom how Gaara had spent his evening.

* * *

Jiraiya leaned back against a rock as he watched the two genin exchange blows.

"Naruto tighten up your form it's still sloppy and Hinata you need to follow through with your strikes..." he offered as he crossed his legs.

Naruto grumbled as he shifted his feet and lowered his arms slightly.

Hinata gazed at Naruto with uncertainty.

"I can't do it...Naruto is better then me.."

Jiraiya sighed as he folded his arms behind his head.

"Look squirt...you both have potential as my students, but you have to start believing in yourself. Your uncertainties are holding you back..."

Hinata look at the ground a moment with a defeated expression.

Naruto growled as he stepped forward. "She's trying her best...so back off."

Jiraiya flipped to his feet, before he disappeared only to reappear as he rested the bottom of one of his sandals atop Naruto's head.

"No she's not...and neither are you for that matter." he paused.

"Look I didn't take you as students, because you completed some silly task...I did so because I saw a lot of myself in both of you, neither of you were born prodigies...but you both have the potential to surpass any of your peers...but you have to work hard and overcome many obstacles."

"Naruto you need to learn to rely on more then just your shadow clones...and beating your opponents into submission, you need more versatility as a Ninja ." he said as he pushed the blonde backwards, before taking a few steps closer to Hinata.

Naruto huffed but said nothing in return as he realized Jiraiya was right.

"And Hinata for you...we're going to work on building up your confidence...and beyond that in order to beat your cousin you'll need to learn more then the Gentlefist...I can show you a few tricks."

Hinata bowed her head slightly. "H-hai Jiraiya-S-sensei.."

"I'm sorry what was that?" Jiraiya asked as he cupped his ear.

"Hai Jiraiya-S-sensei..." she managed a bit louder this time though with a slight stutter.

"Must be going deaf I can't hear you..."

"Hai Jiraiya-Sensei!" she finally yelled, before flushing at her outburst.

Jiraiya chuckled. "That's more like it...now come on you two...we have a lot of work to do.."

* * *

The Days of training for the chunin hopefuls turned into weeks until only a handful of days remained. With these last few days each of the genin began to make their last minute preparations all in the hopes that their efforts would pay off during the finals.

-Miles outside of Konoha deep within the forest-

"Hey listen you two, you've done all you can in a month. I'm proud to call you both my students now, I'll be rooting you both on from the stands." he said before offering two thumbs up to his new apprentices.

"Thanks Pervy Sage" Naruto exclaimed as he looked over at Jiraiya with a wild grin.

"Ano thank you Jiraiya-Sensei!" Hinata said before bowing her head in a polite manner.

"You really should follow your girlfriend's example" Jiraiya said growling before he bonked Naruto upside the head.

"Stop calling me that.." he said his eyes still twitching.

"Owww I'll stop calling you that when you stop being a lecherous old man." Naruto retorted before sticking his tongue out.

The pair began another starring match with poor Hinata being left to separate them.

* * *

"Keep in mind Sasuke...three times is your limit at the moment, beyond that you will have no more chakra and you risk hurting yourself or worse."Kakashi warned as he studied his student who was currently bent over panting.

"*Pants*...Alright I understand... I won't use it lightly." Sasuke promised as he slowly worked his way to his feet.

"Remember...that technique was originally meant for assassinations, if you must use in the Exams please be careful." Kakashi said a sense of regret touching his voice earning a quirked eyebrow from Sasuke.

"Is there something wrong Sensei?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "It's nothing...come on we should go, I think this is one time we shouldn't be late" he said as he turned and began walking away from his student.

Sasuke wiped the sweat from his brow as he simply nodded before following behind the Cyclops Ninja.

As the last day arrived many of the genin made their finishing touches on their training, while others simply elected to rest and conserve their energy for the battles ahead. No matter what strategy was elected each and everyone of the Genin realized that tomorrow would be the most significant moment in their lives as Ninja thus far, and that only the best would make it and go on to become Chunin...

The long awaited day had finally arrived for each and everyone of the Genin. The roar of the crowd would surround them as each everyone of the Genin would make their way into the center of the Arena.

Naruto took a deep breath as he looked through the doorway at the arena where the contestants were already gathering before glancing over at his shy girlfriend.

The arena looked relatively simple with a wide open space to fight with a tree off to the side. It seemed that they were aiming to make the arena difficult fair to all parties. If any water-using shinobi had entered the exams, then they would have been out of luck in the finals.

What surprised Naruto the most was the fact that he and Hinata were the last ones to show up. Everyone else, was already there, even Sasuke who had been with Kakashi all month long.

Deciding to get it over with, both of them walked into the light, revealing the most noticeable changes about them. That morning, Jiraiya had awoke both of them with a gift. That gift was a new set of clothes.

Everyone's eyes turned to gauge the final arrivals as they entered, first looking at Naruto who surprisingly wore very little orange at all that day.

He was wearing black sandals, black pants with a shuriken holster at each side and orange strips running up each leg, a black ninja mesh shirt, a long sleeve black jacket with three slender orange stripes running down each arm, and a black banded forehead protector. On his jacket he had the Uzumaki swirl on one sleeve and symbol on his opposite side that marked him as an apprentice to the Toad Sage.

Hinata's change of attire was equally shocking if not more so then Naruto's. She was now wearing a black formfitting coat which was a far cry from the bulky atrocity she had been wearing before. With the change of her jacket it clearly showed what she'd been trying to hide before, for a girl her age she was already developing very nicely, much to envy of her peers. Underneath the new jacket she wore a lavender tank top and underneath that a fishnet shirt could be seen. Like Naruto she now wore a pair of of black sandals, and black pants with a shuriken holster at each side. Unlike the blonde however there were no stripes on her pants. On her neck rested a lavender banded forehead protector. Like the blonde she had the logo for her clan on one shoulder and the symbol marking her as a Toad Sage apprentice on the opposite side.

"You two look different..." Sasuke said with a smile as he looked at the pair wondering what else had changed in the last month beyond their clothes.

"Where'd you get the new clothes?" He asked after a moment as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Our new sensei gave them to us...and it looks we're not the only ones with a new set of clothes" Naruto said with a grin as he looked at the Uchiha who now wore an entirely black outfit as well.

"Hai Jiraiya-Sensei gave us these new clothes before we set off this morning."Hinata said her even voice reflected a level of confidence Sasuke had not yet seen in her.

"Hnnn I'm looking forward to seeing what the two of you learned."Sasuke said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Quiet you three." the special jonin that stood before them said. Unlike the proctor of the preliminaries, the one before them had his bandana style forehead protector backwards and had a senbon in his mouth. "Stand up straight and present yourself proudly to the spectators. Their here to see you all"

Looking up and around, Naruto saw the stands where all the spectators were. They were quite a bit higher than the contestants, likely to prevent stray jutsu or ninja tools from harming them.

"Welcome all and I offer our deepest thanks for coming to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for the Chunin Selection Exams. We have come to the final competition between the eleven hopefuls that made it through the preliminaries. We ask that you offer your support to these talented men and women and that no one leaves until all of the matches have been completed. Now that being said, everyone enjoy." the Third Hokage said before he took seat next to the Kazekage.

After a pregnant pause Genma spoke as he looked between the genin.

"The setting is different, but the rules are the same as in the preliminaries. That, of course, is that there are no rules. The match ends when one of you admits defeat or dies. That being said, I can stop any match that I believe has a clean and determined winner. No arguments are permitted. Understood?" the special Genma, asked. When everyone nodded, he said, "These are the two opponents for the first match: Naruto Uzumaki and Dosu Kinata. Those two stay. The rest of you can go to the waiting area." he stated and with that the finals had finally begun...


	14. Chapter 14

"The two of you may begin now" Genma yelled before flipping backwards and away from the two genin.

Naruto ignored the excited roar of the crowd as he stared intently at the Sound Ninja that stood before him.

His cheerful demeanor from a few moments earlier was replaced by a fierce look of determination as eyed Dosu from head to toe.

'Oi this guy could be a pain in the butt, he did take out Choji with one attack in the prelims' he thought.

"Interesting...I was lead to believe you were the sort to charge first and ask questions later." Dosu said his voice somewhat muffled before he began to pace back and forth as he studied the blonde.

"I suppose you can only believe half of what you hear..." Dosu mused before he finally stopped in place his outline blurring a moment before he sprung forward swinging his gauntlet as he neared the blonde.

Naruto's hand slipped into his kunai holster and it seemed as if his nerves got the best of him as one of the kunai clattered to the ground as he managed to raise another one up just in time to intercept the gauntlet.

"What was that...he shouldn't be making mistakes like that now." Sasuke said frowning as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Perhaps his nerves are showing...and it was just a mistake..." Shino said quietly.

"It is the first time any of us have fought in front of so many people...you might be right. I have to say I feel bad for him, he surprised all of us by beating Kiba, but this guy might be too much for Naruto" Sakura added a moment later.

'Troublesome blonde...that wasn't a mistake...what are you up to ?' Shikamaru wondered as he leaned lazily against the rail, his thoughts were interrupted by a surprisingly confident Hinata that stood, but a few feet away.

"No Naruto-kun and I didn't train this hard to make mistakes like that now." Hinata said earning a surprised look from the trio and a glare from Neji who stood several feet away.

"Once a failure...always a failure.." Neji stated coldly before smirking. However his words did not have the effect on his Cousin that he had anticipated, instead she simply smiled and shook her head.

"Your wrong Nii-san, just watch and see" she said before she turned to look back at Naruto.

'I believe in you Naruto...you can prove them all wrong' she thought as she leaned forward and gripped the railing tightly.

Naruto and Dosu were currently in a stalemate with Naruto holding back Dosu's gauntlet with a single Kunai.

"To be so small your surprisingly strong...though it seems you've already made a mistake." he said as he applied more strength and began to slowly force Naruto towards the ground.

"I think your getting ahead of yourself...you haven't won yet.."Naruto said offering a grin to the sound genin.

"Oh I think I have...sometimes one mistake is all you need to make in a battle..." he said as reached out and placed his offhand onto his gauntlet before he began to channel chakra through the Gauntlet.

Immediately an ear piercing sound shot out of the gauntlet and right into Naruto. Rather then incapacitating the blonde as the Sound genin had expected the blonde before him poofed into thin air earning a shocked look from Dosu and the other onlookers.

Not even a half second passed before another poof was seen from the ground where the Kunai had been dropped only moments before. As the Kunai disappeared it was replaced by the missing blonde genin who rocketed upwards before uppercutting the much larger boy in the chin sending him flying backwards, however Dosu caught himself in midair and somersaulted backwards landing uneasily on his feet as he studied the blonde.

Naruto grinned wildly. "So I was right...that gauntlet of yours is the main source of your strength. I figured as much after watching what you did to Choji, so I decided to get in close and see what it was made of." he explained.

Dosu actually chuckled as he looked at his gauntlet noticing only the smalls of scratches on his surface. "In other words you never intended to beat me with that exchange...you were only testing my gauntlet. Quite clever...I must admit, even down to utilizing a clone and a henge to fool me. However you now know that my Gauntlet won't be broken easily and I assure you I won't be deceived again. I would advise you to forfeit." he suggested.

"No way...I didn't come this far to back down now...this match is far from over he said as he began to form several hand signs.

"Hnn I should have known he was up to something, you better pull something out of your hat Naruto. You better not lose until I get a chance to fight you." Sasuke said with a smirk.

Lee pumped his fist. "Yosh that's the spirit Sasuke! I look forward to our match and showing you the power of youth" Lee yelled exuberantly earning sweat drops from most of the other genin and a glare from Gaara.

"Lee-san calm down..." Sakura said as she tried to calm the hyperactive genin.

The conversation around fell on deaf ears for Hinata who still leaned against the railing starring intently at the match.

'Ano...what will you do now Naruto-kun?' she wondered to herself.

"Your wasting your time..."Dosu said as he crouched before holding out his gauntlet.

"Heh we'll see about that " Naruto said as he finished his hand signs and summoned another three clones into existence before he held out his palm.

One of the clones leaned over and with both hands began molding chakra into his palm.

As a few moments began to pass the chakra in his hand began to take shape and become visible...

"Kid what are you thinking...you know you don't have that Jutsu down completely. Now's not the time to be experimenting with shadow clones." Jiraiya said as he folded his arms across his chest and frowned.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he looked over at the Toad Sage. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah...it's exactly what you think." he said as he remembered back the last month of training.

* * *

**_*Begin Flashback*_**

"Gah I just can't do it..." Naruto exclaimed.

"Ano...I'm sure you'll get it eventually Naruto-kun." Hinata said quietly.

"Kid there's a reason why that Jutsu is an A rank technique. Give it some time and worry about finishing it after the exams." Jiraiya said.

Naruto frowned a moment. "It's just so hard...it's like trying to look into two directions at once..." he said pausing as his eyes widened, after a moment a smile spread across his face.

"Heh I'll get that Jutsu down in no time...But I'm ready to continue our other training Pervy-Sage" Naruto said.

Jiraiya just shook his head before smiling. "Alright you two we still have a lot left to do and we don't have much time left..." he stated before he reached for the scroll on his back.

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

"So Naruto wasn't able to finish that move? " Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of...then again the kid had this look in his eye...who knows he is the most unpredictable Ninja I've ever known, I just hope he knows what he's doing. That sound ninja won't give him another chance if he fails." he said.

Kakashi simply eye smiled. Fail or pass he was sure that his Sensei would be proud to see Naruto right now...

"What is that ?" Sasuke asked as he stepped forward peering down at the battle below.

A few of the other Genin looked on curiously while Hinata looked incredibly nervous for a moment before she took a deep breath.

"Naruto-kun is about to show you his new technique..." she stated her eyes never leaving the blonde.

'You can do it...I believe in you.' she thought as her small hands gripped the railing to the point that her knuckles were white.

'Incredible the chakra is so concentrated it's visible' Dosu thought his one visible eye widening as he unconsciously took a step back.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he looked down at the sphere of chakra that was now formed in his right hand. It was incredibly unstable, if he failed to hit his mark or lost concentration he doubted Dosu would give him the chance to attempt this a second time.

Dosu finally relaxed. "I see...that move must be quite powerful, however you expending so much energy and concentration to maintain it. There in lies it's weakness" he stated as he grabbed his gauntlet with his other hand and began to channel chakra into it. After a few moments the entire gauntlet began to reverberate before Dosu held it out in front of him.

"My arm will render you unconscious before you can ever hope to strike me down." he stated

Naruto took a deep breath. 'Well I guess it's time to get creative then' he thought as he looked to the clones surrounding him.

One of the three clones sprung into action as it dashed forward towards the sound Ninja and his deadly gauntlet.

As it reached within the proximity of Dosu's gauntlet's effect, it was destroyed within a matter of seconds resulting in a poof of smoke.

The smoke served to obscure Dosu's line of sight for just a moment, Long enough for the blonde genin to act. Utilizing his remaining two shadow clones the two clones hoisted the original Naruto in the air before hurling him forward towards Dosu...

As his vision became clear Dosu held out his arm channeling his chakra through his gauntlet as Naruto soared towards him hoping to repel the blonde or stop him before he reached him.

Naruto gritted his teeth as the sound waves began to reach him, he focused all his attention into maintaining his attack as he finally reached his mark as he collided his ninjutsu into Dosu's gauntlet.

"RASENGAN" he yelled.

A loud explosion was heard as all the onlookers could only wait to see the result of the exchange as the smoke began to clear.

As the smoke finally cleared Naruto could be seen on one knee looking disoriented with blood coming out of his ears but otherwise alright, Dosu on the other hand was laying on the ground several feet away struggling to move, his entire gauntlet lay shattered in pieces around him. To the surprise of those watching the sound genin made his way to his feet with some difficulty before focusing his one visible eye on Naruto.

"I concede..." he said after a moment earning a look of surprise from the blonde.

"What? But why?" Naruto asked as Genma could be seen approaching the duo.

"As you said my Gauntlet was my main source of power with it shattered and with as little chakra as I have left it would be pointless to continue."

Naruto nodded numbly as Genma stepped forward.

"Dosu Kinuta concedes the fight, Naruto Uzumaki is the winner" Genma stated earning a brief pause among the audience before surprisingly a resounding applause could be heard. Though one cheer could be heard above the rest and from an unexpected individual.

"Way to Go Naruto!" Hinata yelled earning some surprised looks from the surrounding genin.

"I can't believe this is the same Naruto from the academy" Sakura said her eyes wide as starred down at the blonde. 'Then again all of team 7 has changed...maybe more so then any of the other teams, Naruto has grown as a Ninja, Sasuke seems a lot friendlier now, and Hinata she was never this confident at the academy. I wonder which of them has changed the most.' she wondered as she looked from Naruto to the other two members of team 7.

"Indeed it seems he has grown leaps and bounds."Shino noted quietly.

'Naruto you've grown much stronger, but if I know you, you've got a lot more in store. I'll just have to win my match...now more then ever I want to fight you.' Sasuke thought as a smirk spread across his face as he saw the blond approaching the waiting area.

* * *

From the stands Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged a look.

"Heh well I'll be not who I had put money on, and to top it off the Kid managed to learn a powerful A rank Ninjutsu." Izumo said as he leaned back in his seat.

"Izumo you do know that was the Rasengan, the Fourth's own attack, what I can't figure out is how that pipsqueak managed to learn it." Kotetsu said frowning as he crossed his arms.

"Eh I wouldn't put too much thought into it, Kakashi is his Sensei, and wasn't he on the Fourth's team?" Izumo asked.

"Yeah I guess that would make sense, but still using shadow clones and the Rasengan...it's not something you see with a Genin. Hard to believe this kid was apparently the last of his class." Kotetsu mused.

* * *

"Well I'll be the kid the figured out how to look both directions after all. I can see it now...The Toad Sage trains another future Hokage" Jiraiya said before laughing out loud.

"Umm you do realize that I'm Naruto's real sensei don't you?" Kakashi asked as he lazily looked over at the Toad Sage seated next to him.

Jiraiya continued to laugh boisterously before he looked over at Kakashi. "Huh did you say something Kakashi?" he asked.

Kakashi sighed. He now finally knew how Gai felt around him.

* * *

The crowd finally began to die down and after a monetary pause Genma looked up at the waiting area.

"Can I have Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha down here for the next match." he said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and studied the duo.

'This should be an interesting match' he mused to himself before his gaze shifted over to the blonde.

'I didn't really expect that blonde kid to win, if nothing else this exam is proving to be anything but predictable' he thought to himself.

"So...Its my turn, I've been looking forward to this" Sasuke said as he looked over at Lee who looked exuberant.

"Yosh!" Lee exclaimed pumping his first into the air before flipping down to the ground below.

"Hehe good luck Sasuke, you better win or you'll never here the end of it." Naruto said with a wide grin.

"Ano Sasuke do your best..." Hinata offered with a small smile.

Sasuke smirked. "Yeh I'll be back in no time.." he said as strode forward stopping as pink haired kunoichi touched his shoulder as he passed.

"I know you can win Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said offering him a shy smile.

Sasuke paused looking at her a moment before actually smiling. "Thanks Sakura" he said before he turned and jumped down to the battle area. He landed on the ground and walked over to the middle of the field next to Lee and Genma.

Gaara was watching Sasuke from the waiting area like a lion watching its prey. He had a evil murderous expression upon his face.

'Not good. I haven't seen Gaara this way in quite a while.' Temari thought to herself.

"H…hey Gaara, about the plan, do you under-."

"Shut up fool, I know." Gaara cut her off.

'Mother he is but one that I shall feed you very soon' Gaara thought as an evil glint could be seen in his eyes as well as a dark smirk.

* * *

"Alright the two of you know the rules, without any further ado let the second match begin." Genma stated before he sprang back away from the two genin.

Sasuke not wasting any time hurled several shuriken at Lee, who quickly reacted by flipping backwards with a series of quick handsprings. After a few moments Lee darted forward in a flash before leaping into the air.

"Dynamic Entry" he yelled

Sasuke eyes widened as he barely managed to react in time as he held his arms out in front of his body just as Lee's foot collided into him pushing him back about fifteen feet. Lee flipped backwards a moment before taking his typical Taijutsu stance.

Sasuke felt a pain shoot through his entire frame as he studied Lee.

'After all all this training,and it seems like I still can't afford to hold back against Lee. He has speed and strength on his side, but I can utilize his weaknesses to my advantage' he thought before he jumped backwards, in the process creating a larger gap between him and Lee. As he stared at Lee he began focusing Chakra to his eyes before activating his two tomoe Sharingan.

"Guy Sensei told me about the Sharingan and what it's capable of, but I'm not afraid. If I can defeat you Sasuke I can finally prove myself to Sakura-chan and furthermore I can have the chance to confront my rival, and prove to him that a genius of hardwork can defeat a natural born prodigy." he said his eyes looking up at the waiting area for but a moment before looking back at Sasuke.

Sasuke was surprised he hadn't really expected to converse much with Lee.

"You must be talking about Neji...hnnn to be honest Lee I hope it's not you or me that defeats Neji. I guess we'll just see, as far as everything else, lets save the small talk for later" he said as he shifted his feet before he began to form a series of hand signs.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu." Sasuke shouted.

A huge fireball with great force came barreling towards Lee. As the fireball grew close Lee leapt into the air unaware he was playing into Sasuke's hand. As Lee was in the air he caught sight of Sasuke too late as the Raven haired Ninja kicked him further into the air before disappearing.

'impossible...Sasuke's speed...how could he improve this much' Lee wondered though his thoughts were cut off as Sasuke reappeared behind him shadowing him as he continued soaring upward through the air.

"Feeling a sense of Deju Vu I bet..." Sasuke said smirking as Lee tried to elbow him only for Sasuke to dodge and counter attack as he flipped Lee in midair.

"Barrage of Lions." Sasuke shouted.

Using the downward momentum he began a series of quick and powerful blows before he planted his knee into Lee's stomach just as they came crashing down into the ground. Sasuke flipped away from his adversary trying to judge the damage he inflicted, only to be surprised as Lee rose with little difficulty.

"Give up already Lee you can't win against me, not again" Sasuke said hoping Lee would indeed forfeit so he wouldn't be forced to expend anymore energy.

"Yosh you certainly are confident Sasuke. However Guy Sensei has always taught me to train hard, but to never use more strength then is needed to accomplish a task. Though it seems like I need to show you the truth power of youth" Lee exclaimed as he began reaching for his leg weights.

'So Lee was holding back all along even during our first match, this isn't good...I might have to use it.' Sasuke thought as he glanced up at Kakashi up in the crowd.

As he looked back Lee was gone and only a split second passed before he felt a fist be buried into his gut sending him flying backwards. Sasuke landed quickly wiping some blood from his mouth as he starred at Lee.

'His speed has increased exponentially...I have to remain focused. My Sharginan should still be able to see him, but if I'm careless he could finish me off...I refuse to lose again' he thought growling before he darted away from Lee and all the way to the other side of the battle area until he was standing vertically upon the wall. He performed a few hand seals and then began concentrating chakra into his hand. Sasuke's chakra started to appear visible by the spectators of the fight, "Alright here I go." Sasuke said to himself.

He ran down the wall onto the ground charging straight for Lee, Sasuke slammed his Chidori right where Lee was standing only moments before only to meet thin air now as the Green beast was nowhere to be seen.

'Dammit the Chidori is powerful, but against someone as fast as Lee, I don't know if I can find an opening to strike' he thought as he released the Chidori and turned just in time to collide fists with Lee.

The duo began a Taijutsu exchange that lasted for about ten minutes, Lee had the advantage in pure speed and strength, however Sasuke's reflexes and counterattacks were proving effective as he began to catch the Taijtsu specialist off guard time and time again until finally Lee managed to land a blow forcing Sasuke backwards.

Lee held both of his arms out by his sides before a swirl of chakra could be seen visibly circling around his body as his muscles began to bulge.

'What is that?' Sasuke wondered his eyes narrowing as he studied Lee.

'Whatever it is, it requires concentration, he's rooted for a moment... it's time I try the Chidori again' he thought as he held out his right arm and began to channeling chakra with the use of his offhand.

Kakashi's one visible eyes widened as he looked over at Might Guy who had a wide grin on his face.

"You taught Lee the gates? Gai you know how dangerous that is." he said disapproval slipping into his voice.

Gai frowned for a moment before looking over at his rival. "No more dangerous then teaching Sasuke the Chidori and not to worry Lee knows his limits. He won't open more gates then he has to." he said before he looked back at his pupil.

'You must feel pushed to the brink Lee, I hope you can get the job done quickly, you know what will happen once that initial surge of power and speed have worn off.' Gai thought as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Gate of Opening" Lee yelled.

Sasuke dashed forward not waiting a moment longer for Lee to finish as he cocked his hand backwards and slammed his extended hand towards Lee, at the last moment he shifted his strike using only his palm to avoid a fatal strike.

The surge of energy behind the strike sent Lee skidding back across the ground, but by some miracle he managed to remain upright though breathing deeply before he spoke again as the chakra output around him increased.

"Gate of Healing." He cried.

Moments later all of his wounds both superficial and serious began to heal much to the surprise of Sasuke.

"Gate of Life" Lee stated as his voice began to grow deeper as his skin turned a deep red.

Sasuke's eyes widened. 'This is incredible...I can't match this power. To think someone without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu could be his powerful...wait maybe that's it. I have but one chance and I'll have to wait till his chakra is no longer spiking' he thought.

"Gate of pain...Gate of Limit" Lee yelled his voice booming across the field as his hair began to spike up.

Sasuke took a ready stance as he tried to anticipate the super powered Lee's next move.

"Sasuke this is the first time I've ever been forced to go all out, you've been a worthy opponent" he stated.

"As have you Lee" Sasuke said his eyes locking with Lee's for a long moment.

'But it's time to finish this' they both thought at the same time.

Lee vanished from sight before reappearing in front of Sasuke and delivering a super powered lightning fast kick. To his amazement the raven haired Ninja dodged it.

'Impossible...that must have been luck' Lee thought as he disappeared before appearing behind Sasuke this time.

"Leaf Rising Wind" He yelled as he tried to hit Sasuke and launch him upwards, again he proved incapable of making contact with the Uchiha.

Strike after strike Lee found himself incapable of landing a blow on Sasuke as time continued on he felt his body beginning to grow weary as the aftereffects of opening the gates began to settle in.

He finally collapsed to one knee as he studied Sasuke who stood silently a few feet away from him.

As he was panting he watched in amazement as the Sasuke before him vanished and he felt a cold piece of metal being pressed to his throat. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Sasuke standing there.

"But How?" Lee asked between breaths.

Sasuke frowned. "Unfortunately Lee...I realized I have a long way to go before I can defeat you in a Taijutsu match. When you finished powering up, the moment we met eyes before you attacked I cast a genjutsu. You've been fighting an illusion, I knew if I could cast it on you I could let you wear yourself down and force you to surrender." He said.

Lee smiled sadly. "I thought it was strange how you could dodge me with that many gates open, I had no idea I was even in a genjutsu." he said.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah I know someone who struggles with Genjutsu as well, I realized with your new power and speed it was my only option."

Lee bowed his head. "For what it's worth Sasuke this was an excellent fight...I concede to you." Lee offered.

Genma stepped forward before waving his arm towards Sasuke.

"Winner Sasuke Uchiha." he stated to which a loud roar of applause soon followed.

Sasuke lowered his kunai as he held out his hand to Lee.

The defeated genin smiled before taking Sasuke's hand and rising to his feet.

Genma allowed a smile as he watched Sasuke help Lee across the field and towards the waiting area.

'This Genin are something else, it's amazing to think this is the first exam for each of them. I honestly have no idea who will win.' he thought as he shifted the senbon in his mouth before looking towards the stands as he prepared to call the next Match.


	15. Chapter 15

"I need Shikamaru Nara and Temari No Sabaku to join me on the field now." Genma stated

Temari wasted no time as she strode past the other genin, before jumping over the railing. She landed in a crouch on the ground below, then made her way over towards the center of the field where Genma stood.

Shikamaru on the other hand had a very bored look on his face and seemed to have little interest in proceeding with the fight.

"What a drag... Maybe I should just forfeit?" he mused aloud, leaning onto the railing. Too bad for him, Naruto was near and had no intention of letting his comrade forfeit.

"Oi, Shikamaru, be a man! Don't run away!" the hyperactive Blond said palming lazy boy to his shoulder. Somehow, this proved enough for Shikamaru to lose his balance and fall into the arena below.

"Damn Naruto... Troublesome blondes..." He muttered under his breath as he stood up from his fall.

"Finally decided to come here and fight me, pineapple-head?" Temari asked before smirking

"As troublesome as it is, it seems that I'll have to fight you...It would be a real drag to forfeit to a girl" Shikamaru said.

Temari's eye twitched. "And what the hell is that suppose to mean?" she asked as she glared at the boy.

Genma had no intention of letting the banter go on any longer.

"Are you two ready?" he asked.

Both genins traded a look with one another before nodding .

"You may begin!" Genma said before he flipped back to the border of the arena, allowing the duo plenty of space.

Temari immediately drew her fan from her back and opened it partially before a smirk spread across her face.

"I'm going to enjoy this Lazy ass" she yelled as she swung the fan at him causing a gale force wind to to rocket forward towards Shikamaru.

Remembering quite well what she could do with her fan, the lazy genius immediately substituted before hiding behind the single tree on the far side of the Arena.

"Troublesome blondes" He muttered to himself as he closed his eyes as he assumed a position with his hands as he began to plan his next course of action.

For next fifteen on so minutes Temari tried her best to flush her opponent out into the open to avoid being caught by his shadow possession. Finally, it seemed that Shikamaru had enough and decided to counterattack. He used his family jutsu and tried to catch Temari with his shadow, but the Suna kunoichi stayed just out of his range, Or so she thought. However she had no idea everything she was doing was going according to Shikamaru's plan.

"What the hell?!" She cursed as her body suddenly became paralyzed, even though shadow in front of her shouldn't be able to reach her.

"Shadow Possesion, success." Shikamaru said with a smirk. "Let me show you." He said as he turned his head up as if to look at the sky, having no choice Temari mirrored his action And she saw his jacket turned into a makeshift parachute come floating down towards the ground.

"How?" She asked. Nara boy sighed: it was just too troublesome to explain this.

"Simple. As you already know, my family has control over shadows. That means I can morph my shadow anyway I want, using the sun and my jacket together I was able to extend the reach of my shadow. But all of this has been Troublesome..." Shikamaru said as he walked forward and Temari, mirrored him, walking forward until they stood only a few feet apart. Genma appeared next to them, ready to end this match. Shikamaru lazily raised his hand and as much as she struggled not to Temari mirrored his movement again.

"I, Nara Shikamaru,.. forfeit." he said.

"WHAT?!" Temari shouted. "Why would you surrender to me now when you've already won?"

"I almost ran out of chakra fighting you. As troublesome as it is I only have enough chakra to hold the jutsu for twenty seconds at most. I guess it was the real world, you'd be defeated and who knows maybe, killed by now. But this is just an exam and I've do more then I wanted to, this was one troublesome match too many for me" he said before shrugging his shoulders before he released the Jutsu and turned and began walking slowly towards the waiting area.

Genma sighed before shaking his head.

"Since Shikamaru Naru forfeited, the winner of the match is Temari No Sabaku" Genma announced.

* * *

There was a long pause before a loud series of boos could be heard from the crowd.

"I can't believe he forfeited what a bum" Naruto said sighing before crossing his arms.

"It is Shikamaru we're talking about" Sasuke said before shrugging his shoulders.

"Ano he was rather clever though..." Hinata offered quietly.

"The kid may have forfeited, but he anticipated everyone of his opponents moves and essentially controlled the entire fight." Izumo said.

"Yeh but if this was a real mission he would have surrendered himself to the enemy." Kotetsu said shrugging.

"No I think if this was a real mission he wouldn't have gotten his squad killed just to see the mission through. That demonstrates a lot for a genin." Izumo retorted.

"I suppose your right...so you think he's ready?" Kotetsu asked as he looked over at his comrade.

Izumo simply nodded "Yeah I think that kid is more then ready...he just needs a little motivation" he added before falling silent.

Genma began to chew on the Senbon in his mouth as he awaited the Audience to simmer down before he turned his attention back to the waiting area.

As things finally began to settle down he spoke.

"Wasting no more time can I have Shino Aburame and Sakura Haruno join me ?"

What Genma didn't anticipate was the response he was about to receive.

Shino looked at his teammate for a long moment as if silently deciding something before he raised his hand earning a series of surprised looks from the audience as well as his fellow genin.

"I know my teammates abilities well and I recognize that should we proceed in this fight that my odds of success are less then twenty five percent. From this I have decided to forfeit to her, so that she may have a chance to move into the next round with a greater chance of reaching the finals." he said before falling silent as he adjusted his glasses.

There was a long silence before Genma simply shook his head.

'The crowd is going to hate this' he thought sighing before he held out his hand.

"Very well since Shino Aburame forfeits Sakura Haruno is the winner of this match and will proceed to the next round." Genma stated earning a resounding boo from the crowd.

* * *

"Lord Hokage this has proved to be an entertaining Exam to say the least, I hope the next fight will prove more interesting." The Kazekage said as he looked over at Sarutobi.

Sarutobi ran a hand through his beard. "Yes I'm sure your right, the next will be something to behold. I'm sure the Hyuuga at the very least will be watching this match closely" he said.

"Ah yes...The Hyuuga Heiress versus the Hyuuga Prodigy...I wonder which will triumph." The Kazekage mused.

"If I've learned anything from this Exam so far...nothing should surprise me at this point." he said before chuckling.

* * *

"S-shino you Baka why would you give up after working so hard for this?" Sakura asked as she turned on her teammate.

Shino remained impassive for a long moment as he looked at the surrounding genin before looking back at her.

"Simple I know that I would have lost and this way you and Gaara are the only ones in the finals that no one will be able to learn anything about, until the next round. An element of surprise can win a fight for a Ninja. With your intelligence I think this course of action will give you an advantage." he said before he turned and began to walk out of the waiting area.

What none of them knew was the fact that Shino had picked up on something else that lead him to forfeit...something he deemed more important.

"Well that was boring even Lazy ass here actually fought..." Temari said frowning as she gestured at Shikamaru.

"Troublesome blondes" the lazy nin muttered as he leaned against the rail as he stared at the sky.

Sasuke was far less amused as he instead looked between Hinata and Neji.

'So this is it...the final match of this round, this the match I've been waiting to see. I hope you've improved Hinata... because Neji won't pull any punches.' he thought.

There was a long pause as the two cousins traded a glance before the exchange was broken as Genma could be heard from below.

* * *

"With the fourth match concluded there is but one match left in this round, I need Hinata Hyuuga and Neji Hyuuga to join me in the center of the field." he stated.

Neji simply smirked as he strode past his Cousin stopping for a moment as he looked at her.

"This is your last chance to concede your fate, I'd suggest you take it." he said before he continued walking and flipped forward landing on the field below before walking over towards Genma.

Naruto looked over at Hinata and walked over before wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey don't listen to that asshole we'll be rooting for you up here. Go kick his smug ass I believe in you Hinata-chan." Naruto said squeezing tightly before pulling away with a wide grin on his face.

Hinata flushed only faintly before she nodded a look of confidence on her face that she had not possessed until just recently.

As she turned towards the railing Sasuke laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Goodluck Imouto" he said before smirking.

She offered him a small smile "Arigato Nii-san" she said before she looked back over at Naruto, Naruto smiled at her as he gave a nod. Hinata turned back around, took a deep breath and jumped down to the battlefield floor. The roar of the crowd was muffled in her head only by the beating of her heart.

" Hinata…." Said a voice as she landed.

Hinata looked up to see Neji standing there with a scowl on his face and his arms folded.

"You should be reasonable, you know what happened last time. I have no interest in wasting my time with you. I'd rather save my energy for someone of real consequence. If you fight again you may actually die this time,surrender and spare yourself and the clan any further disgrace. " Neji said.

Hinata was beginning to feel discouraged by Neji's taunts like last time, even with as much confidence as she'd gained Neji's words cut deep at her. Then there was that part that was eating at her as she wondered if she had actually become strong enough to best Neji.

" Hinata!"

Hinata looked up to see Naruto and Sasuke in the balcony.

"Don't listen to him! He's just a Jackass! You do this" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke just sighed before offering her a thumbs up.

Hinata looked back at Neji and smiled.

" Neji….I am not running away. I won't go back on my word...that is my Ninja way"

Neji just shook his head. "Where have I heard that before?"

* * *

Hiashi looked on from above with Hanabi who sat next to him.

'Hinata...I don't know if it's possible for you to beat Neji. For once though I will believe in you.' Hiashi thought as he leaned forward before he heard a small voice next to him.

"Tou-san Onee-san can win right?" Hanabi asked as she looked up at her father with a worried expression.

Hiashi looked at his youngest daughter. "Hanabi I've never seen your sister this confident before, whether she wins or losses today she has already made this clan proud, and furthermore she's made me proud" he said before the patriarch offered a rare smile before he turned to look back at the field.

" Very well, have it your way, but I warn you Hinata, no matter how hard you struggle the result will always be the same. It looks like I am going to have to humiliate you in front of the whole village by showing everyone just how weak you are." Neji said.

Hinata took a deep breath. 'Nibi I don't know if I can do this, but I'm not holding back any longer.' she thought as she released her held breath.

'I believe in you little one' the large feline responded as she swished her two tails back and forth.

Genma looked between the pair " Alright you two, this is the final match of this round. As I've said before obey my commands at all times. If I make a call, don't argue it."

" Neji, do you understand? " he asked as he looked over at the boy.

Neji nodded.

"Hinata, do you understand?" he asked as he cast a look over at her.

"Hai." Hinata said as she nodded.

The two then assumed their respective stances. Neji was taking up the traditional Hyuuga stance while Hinata took up a similar stance though something about it was different her posture seemed much more fluid rather then rigid. The tension in the air was nearly palpable as the two stared at one another, neither one blinking or looking away for even a moment.

" Byakugan!" they said in unison.

" Begin!" Genma yelled before he flipped away from the duo.

At first neither Hinata or Neji made a move. They just stood there observing each other.

* * *

" Why are neither of them moving Tou-san?" Hanabi asked.

" They're inspecting each other for weaknesses they can exploit, in a fight like this the first move can also prove to be the last." Hiashi responded.

Just then, Neji sprang forward, believing he could slip past Hinata's guard. As he leapt forward to strike at her core he was met with only air as an uncanny grace she fluidly side stepped before burying her palm into his stomach faster then he could react, even with the use of her Byakugan.

" That was fast...too fast how did she react so quickly" Neji wondered as he flipped backwards and assumed his stance again.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked over at Naruto.

"Hey Naruto what exactly did the two of you learn from that Hermit?" he asked.

Naruto smirked before he looked over at Sasuke.

"To be honest the pervy sage taught us both a lot, at first we thought he was nuts, his training seemed be so bizarre that is until we realized the point of his lessons. You'll just have to see it all in action." he said before grinning at his friend.

"Hnn well that really didn't tell me much, who would you say improved the most this last month?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smiled again as he leaned forward against the rail. "Let's just say that the three people I'm most worried about now are you,Gaara, and Hinata. Her strength lies in her confidence pervy sage discovered that quickly." he said before he looked back at the field.

Sasuke stared his friend a long moment before he looked down at the field as well. 'Hinata it's time see if Naruto's faith in your training is well placed'

Hinata and Neji were staring each other down.

" Tell me Hinata-sama what kind of poor variation is that style of yours?" Neji asked.

" My Sensei helped me develop this variation. He knew that my movements were better suited to be fluid, rather then being so rigid"

" I see, well I have to admit it's interesting, regardless of how strange it is. But it wont do you any good, and you have no chance of winning by using a mockery of the Juken."

Hinata was silent for a long moment before she charged forward at Neji, he swooped down and swept Hinata's feet out from under her. Neji then attacked Hinata with a series of palm strikes which most of them hit. Hinata jumped back clutching her stomach for a moment before she removed her hand as a smile spread across her lips.

" Just what I thought, did you really think you had a chance of beating me Hinata? No matter how hard you train you can never get to my level. And now I have sealed a great deal of yo-" Neji stopped as his eyes widened.

Hinata looked at him a moment before speaking. "You were going to say my chakra right?" she said smiling at him.

"Impossible...none of your Tenketsu are closed..." he growled as the veins from his eyes bulged as he charged Hinata in an attempt to close off her tenketsu. However, this time Hinata was able to parry all the thrusts. Neji seemed to have an edge in speed however her reaction time had improved leaps and bounds since their last encounter. After a series of a few more thrusts Neji somersaulted over his cousin before he turned to palm strike her from behind only to be stopped as her hand buried into his abdomen and sent him sprawling across the ground several feet away.

'This is Hinata...this is incredible.' Hiashi thought as he stared at his eldest daughter with amazement.

Neji after a few moments managed to get back to his feet. He looked over to Hinata and shook his head.

'Somehow she's learned to keep her tenketsu open or forcibly reopen them...no matter her fate is still sealed' he thought.

" I see, not bad Hinata-Sama. I was hoping to save this technique for Sasuke or Gaara but it seems I can't hold back any longer." Neji said before smirking.

"You are within in my range of Divination" Neji stated as he sprang forward in a blur towards Hinata.

"Eight Trigrams : Sixty Four Palms" He yelled

'Impossible...how is it that Neji knows this?' Hiashi wondered before he bowed his head slightly.

'I'm afraid this is over'

However Hiashi was wrong...

Just before Neji could land a hit Hinata retaliated within a blink of an eye.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms" she yelled.

Neji collided into her guard before he was sent flying backwards as he landed and gritted his teeth as he held his left arm he could feel several chakra points were now closed.

Hinata just stood there still unmoving as she awaited Neji's next move move.

"How is it possible that a failure such as you has improved so much, why do you struggle and refuse to accept your place?" He asked exasperated.

Hinata rather then looking dejected actually smiled. "It's because I'm a failure...a proud failure that I don't give up. Someone close to me taught me that there is no such thing as fate. Even now I'm going against what everyone expects. No one here believed I could fight you Neji, A year ago I couldn't defeat Hanabi. There is no such thing as fate for us or the Hyuuga" she said.

Neji tensed before he felt a rage take hold of him as he lunged forward intending to strike her heart, Hinata however pushed it aside. What happened next shocked everyone. In a flash, a barrage of palm strikes collided with Neji's core. He was knocked back several feet and forced to both of his knees as he began gasping for air.

"What the hell was that?! I didn't even see the movements!" Neji thought.

The crowd was quiet as surprising as it was the Hyuuga prodigy seemed to be losing at the moment.

" I cannot believe Hinata has come this far...could it be that the Uzumaki child has truly changed her that much' Hiashi wondered to himself.

Back at the fight Neji managed to get back up to his feet.

" You think you understand Hinata-sama? You know nothing about being caged." Neji screamed.

"Ano I know that no matter what you do I still love you Nii-san. I know you don't believe me, but when I become Clan head I will change the Hyuuga for you and for everyone, and I of all people understand carrying a burden no one should be forced to carry. " she stated her words holding a great deal of conviction for a moment she deactivated her Byakugan hoping to reach Neji.

Neji's expression faltered for a moment.

"You keep saying that you can change fate...you and that Uzumaki fool. I believe your both Failures, but come let's finish this. Show me the strength required to change the Hyuuga" he dared her as the veins in his eyes bulged as he Neji charged forward. He disappearead only to reappear at the last moment, without her Byakugan she was unable to react in time and his strike was true. He struck her right in the center of the heart before he flipped back away from her.

She coughed up blood before she collapsed to the ground.

" That one hurt…I don't know if I can go on" She thought. She could feel herself fighting unconsciousness. " I just need to rest for moment." Hinata slowly closed her eyes.

As Hinata drifted near unconsciousness, she opened her eyes to see she was in a place that wasn't the arena. It however, was familiar to her. She soon realized she was in her mind scape standing right outside the Nibi's door.

"I failed didn't I ?...Am I dead now?" she asked as she walked forward gripping the bars as she looked at the massive Cat that stared at her with a single open eye.

"No little one you're very much alive, and you can still may win this match yet. I will lend you my strength so that you can stand, but I would suggest you refrain from asking for anymore of my power for now...it wouldn't be wise to make such a scene at the moment." she suggested.

Hinata said nothing for a moment as she bowed her head. "What if I can't win...what if Neji is right.?" she asked.

"I can't give you those answers Kitten, but your loved one has a great deal of confidence in you and your Cousin may be reached yet...but you have to prove him wrong...you have to prove that your will is stronger."

Hinata looked at the demoness for a long moment as she made her decision.

Suddenly Hinata's eyes snapped open.

"Proctor I would suggest you call it." Neji said as he began to walk away. 'After all that struggling Hinata-Sama it seems I was right after all' he mused.

Genma was just about to call the match. Suddenly everybody was surprised that Hinata was back on her feet. As Neji turned around, he saw Hinata still standing tall before him, her eyes were full of strength and. Hinata slowly unzipped her jacket before discarding it aside with one hand. Neji got back into his stance.

" Why are you doing this Hinata-Sama? What do you plan to achieve through this action? You can never hope to defeat me." Neji said.

" I refuse to back down from my promise...I said I would change the Hyuuga, Nii-san and I will "

Neji seemed confused by her words. " Very well then, if you wish to continue I am not responsible for what may happen." He said.

Hinata narrowed her eyes at Neji as she got into her stance. "This time I'll win" she with confidence radiating off of her.

Neji was surprised by such confidence from Hinata.

The two locked eyes as they prepared to continue their fight. The pair charged forward in unison. Sparks lit up the arena as the two attacked with numerous palm strikes.

Strike by strike Neji found himself losing ground until finally he was put on the defensive.

He flipped backwards still confident in something he'd had up his sleeve all along.

As Hinata lunged forward like a lioness he smirked before yelling.

"Kaiten."

The expulsion of chakra slammed into Hinata knocking her back before she landed roughly on her feet.

"You see Hinata-Sama...I have mastered arts typically reserved for the Main Branch. No matter how strong you've become you will not be able to break the ultimate defense" he stated.

Hinata narrowed her eyes as she studied Neji for a long moment.

"Fine Nii-san...let's put your defense to the ultimate test...your perfect defense against my ultimate attack." she said.

"As you wish Hinata-Sama we will decide everything with this next move..." he said smirking as he took his stance as he prepared for her to strike.

Hinata took a deep breath as she held both of her arms out by her side as she began to channel chakra through both of her limbs. After a few moments the chakra began to take shape as two giant lion heads formed across her arms as she crouched.

There was pure silence in the audience as the two Cousins studied each other for the longest moment before they both yelled in unison.

"Gentle Step Twin Lion First"

"Kaiten"

A loud explosion of chakra ensued as the center of the Arena was obscured by smoke.

Both of the Hyuuga were hurled back several yards before slamming hard into the ground forming craters.

" Hinata!" Naruto yelled and a long silence ensued as for a moment nothing was heard until a hand reached up and Neji could be seen dragging himself out of the ground and slowly back to his feet.

Neji was breathing deeply as he was walked over to where Hinata lay and stood over her triumphantly

" You see Hinata-sama, you just do not have what it takes to change the Hy-"

Suddenly Neji found a palm slamming against his chin as Hinata rocketed upwards from beneath the ground. The Hinata who was laying there in the crater a moment ago poofed into thin air.

Naruto's eyes widened before he grinned widely. "Hey I taught her that move" he exclaimed earning an eye roll from Sasuke.

Hinata took several deep breaths as she stood over Neji who now lay there looking up at her thoroughly exhausted.

"A clone? I should have known spending so much time with that idiot you'd pick up a couple of his tricks " he said before shaking his head.

"Did you know that clones Jutsu use to be Naruto-kun worst Jutsu?" Hinata asked softly as she deactivated her Byakugan.

"Nii-san you aren't a failure...your only limited by what you believe in. Anyone can change with enough hard work. Ano...we can change the Hyuuga, but I can't do it alone. I could use your help..." she said quietly as she gazed down at him with a soft smile.

For once in perhaps years Neji allowed a small smile. In the first in his life he began to consider the possibility of there being a life without fate and that was certainly something to fight for.

Hayate actually smiled.

'Girl actually won...this exam is something else' he thought before he held out his hand.

"Winner Hinata Hyuuga" he announced.

The Audience responded in a deafening roar.

Most of them unaware that the greatest battles were still yet to come...


	16. Chapter 16

With the first round of the finals concluded, there began an hour intermission.

Many of the nobles had already begun to scout the remaining genin placing bets, each hoping to find the one who would go the distance.

* * *

Naruto stretched before patting his stomach.

"Wow that hits the spot, I feel better then ever now." he exclaimed before grinning wildly at his two teammates who sat across from him.

"Hai it really does" Hinata said weakly as she looked over at her boyfriend.

Her previous bout with Neji had been rough, to be honest it was amazing she had already recovered as much as she had.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"The way you two recover never ceases to amaze me. I just wish we knew who we were fighting" he said before he leaned back in his seat.

"It's nice that you all have some time to recover, I still feel guilty for what Shino did" Sakura said as she frowned.

"Eh don't worry about it so much Sakura-chan, Shino was being a good teammate. Where did he go anyways?" Naruto asked.

Sakura sighed. "I'm not really sure I guess he went to the join Kiba and Kurenai sensei in the stands."

"Ano I'm sure Shino-kun will be rooting you on" Hinata said smiling at the pinkette who in returned offered a small smile her gaze momentarily shifting between Hinata and Naruto.

'Everyone in our group has improved, but Team 7 has probably grown the most. Especially considering their entire team is still in the finals, What I don't understand is how Naruto and Hinata seem to be fine now. Just a few minutes ago she was on her last leg when she defeated Neji and now while she isn't at her best she's already doing much better, no one recovers that fast. What could be their secret?' Sakura wondered as she looked at Sasuke who clearly was still not recovered from his fight with Lee.

"Thanks I'm sure you right Hinata" she responded after a long moment.

* * *

Shino adjusted his glasses as he pressed his back up against the nearby wall. He was obscured from sight however one of his insects had no trouble picking up the conversation around the corner.

"Temari I realize your brother is unstable, but since Kankuro failed to make it to the finals it's your job to make sure Gaara keeps control. This operation is far too delicate, keep in mind Gaara is the key to this plan. You must do what you can to keep him under control " Baki said.

Temari was quiet for a long moment. "Sensei I still don't like this, father hasn't been the same recently and why the leaf ? why now?" she asked.

Baki sighed. "Temari we are ninja we follow orders and we don't deviate from the plan. Go keep an eye on Gaara do anything you can to keep him calm." he instructed.

Temari folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know why ...but some of these leaf ninja are making Gaara more bloodthirsty then usual...I don't know how much longer I can keep him from snapping." she said.

Baki frowned. "Just a few more hours Temari...keep it together" he said before he vanished into thin air.

Shino quietly slipped away from the wall he was rested against before he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

'So I was right about what I overheard earlier' he thought to himself.

* * *

_***Begin Flashback***_

Shino lingered back, away from the rest of the group as the fight between Naruto and Dosu was being waged.

His ears pricked as one of his insects caught a vibration nearby as he could hear frantic whispering. Very discreetly he released one of his beetles without moving an inch. He soon was privy to the conversation taking place out of earshot of the rest of the Genin.

"Fool you don't understand mother begs for Uzumaki's blood...he is like me and only by spilling his blood will I acknowledge my own existence. When I'm done with him I will take the Hyuuga, mother likes her." Gaara said before he gripped his forehead.

Temari looked terrified as she barely managed to speak.

"B-but Gaara that's not part of the plan, we have to wait for the signal to strike." she said quietly

"When the time comes I will do as I wish plan or no plan...you should stay out of my way or I will kill you." he said his voice was ice cold.

Shino felt his body grow rigid as his eyes widened.

If he was right then the exams were the least of their problems.

Minutes began to pass as he tried to mull over the possibilities and when the time came for his fight with Sakura, he decided to forfeit and investigate further.

**_*End Flashback*_**

* * *

Shino began to make his way quickly down the hallway and towards the stands. It was time for him to alert someone. However he never made it that far as as he saw a tall figure in a cloak step out into the open blocking his path.

"Your information gathering skills are quite adept for a genin, however it is my interest that this attack proceed." the man said in a very mild voice as he stepped forward his black cloak swaying as he moved.

Shino eyes widened as he took a defensive stance. He studied the headband on the man's head.

"You're a rogue leaf ninja, but why would you ally with the sand?" Shino asked as he tried to keep his voice even, despite knowing the fact he was facing an opponent who was leagues stronger then him.

"You make the assumption that I'm in league with them...no this attack will serve as nothing more than an smokescreen for our true purpose."

Shino shifted slightly. "Our?" he barely managed to get the words out before the hilt of a giant sword slammed into the back of his head knocking him out cold.

"Jeez Itachi it's not really your style to make small talk with such a pest, why can't we just kill him ?"

"Because he knows nothing of any real consequence. By the time he awakes and the attack is over we will be far away from here. Dispose of him out of the way Kisame and make yourself scarce until you see my signal." he ordered before he turned and began to walk slowly down the hall.

Genma chewed on his senbon as he studied the crowd before looking back at the gathered genin.

"Alright you Six the rules remain the same as the previous round, if you lose if your unable to fight,forfeit or are killed. I reserve the right to call a match at any time, so don't challenge my call." he stated pausing for just a moment before continuing.

"In the first round each of you had the advantage of preparing for your opponent weeks in advance, however this round will be more like the preliminary round. As the remaining genin it will show if you can adapt even against the toughest adversaries." he stated.

Sasuke looked from one direction to another. He realized that statistically speaking their was a much higher chance he would face one of his comrades then one of the sand siblings.

Naruto on the other hand looked excited though his excitement would soon fade as his reverie was broken by Genma's voice.

"By random draw the first Match is Hinata Hyuuga Vs Gaara No Sabaku" Genma stated.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened as he clenched his fist.

"That's not fair Hinata just fought! She shouldn't have to fight two times in a row." he cried.

Genma grunted as he switched the side of his mouth the senbon was held in.

"That's the reality of these exams Kid...one of the first lessons you should learn as a Ninja, is that life isn't fair. You either adapt or you don't it's that simple."

"The rest of you head to the waiting area." he stated.

Naruto stood there planted in place for a long moment before he turned and hugged Hinata.

"Hey you can do this! I know this totally sucks, but I believe in you! I'll be rooting for you the whole time."Naruto said as he mustered his legendary confidence as he pulled away and offered her a giant grin.

Hinata was numb for a moment, finally a faint blush stained her cheeks, before she simply nodded. "H-hai"

As Naruto turned to make his way to the waiting area, Sasuke still stood with a look of conflict on his face.

On one hand he wanted to root for his teammate, on the other hand...He and Kiba had seen what Gaara was truly capable of.

He took a deep breath as he mulled over whether or not he should encourage her to forfeit, he ultimately decided against it as patted her on the shoulder before leaning in to whisper to her.

"Hinata I don't like this, but this is your fight, just if things get bad...know your limit." he said before he pulled away and followed after the others.

Hinata was left standing there slightly shaken as she turned to look at Gaara who had insane look on his face as a grin spread across his face.

"You two may begin" Genma stated before he flipped backwards and away from the duo.

* * *

"You are so very interesting...Mother always wants me to kill...but not you...she says your special. Mother is always right...you must understand my loneliness. The only one who does " he said as he canted his head to the side.

Hinata bit her lip as she tried to keep herself from shivering.

She knew Gaara was like her and Naruto, while she was scared she couldn't help but feel for the boy. Her own secret wasn't common knowledge, but still she had felt the pain of being tormented by her clan, but she now had Naruto,Sasuke,Kakashi, and others. The thought that she could so easily be him terrified her.

"Gaara I-I do understand...Naruto-kun and I both know what you must feel." she said quietly.

Gaara twitched slightly, eyes narrowing as the cork on his gourd began to loosen.

"Mother doesn't like him...I will kill him as mother demands." Gaara said in a cold tone.

Hinata shifted slightly as she took a defensive stance.

"Gaara I won't let you hurt him...he is precious to me." she said before crying out "Byakugan"

The Cork on Gaara's gourd fell to the ground as sick smile spread across his face.

"Precious? Then I will take him from you...mother will have his blood then you will know my pain and we will be together. " He said

Hinata's eyes flared as she uncharacteristically dashed forward going on the offense as she struck forward at Gaara's core only to be met with a wall of sand.

She flipped to the side before striking again and once again being met by the same resistance.

"I won't lose him ! not now! Not when he's finally acknowledged me. " she responded.

"The only true way to acknowledge your existence is kill before you can be killed by another. You don't have the same eyes as I do… yours are filled with something beyond hatred and death, you do not long for strength… like me. Instead your eyes show weaknesses...you don't wish for revenge despite how many put you through the hell called loneliness. When I have defeated you I will then show you that pain. Then you will come to see as I do." he said before he held out his hand and a wall of sand crashed into Hinata before sending her sprawling across the Arena floor.

She weakly made her way to one knee as she studied Gaara.

'I-I don't know if I can do this...I'm still so weak from my fight with Nii-san' she thought as she exhaled before wiping some blood from her mouth.

'Rise little one...I'll lend you my strength.' The Nibi offered

Hinata took another breath silently thanking the demoness as she rose to her feet.

Naruto gripped the railing so tightly that the metal began to compress under his grip as his features ever so slightly became more feral.

Sasuke stepped forward patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Naruto you have to calm down...This is Hinata's battle. Believe in her...it's going to be alright." he said before pulling his hand away as Naruto looked over his shoulder a moment of fury replaced by a serious look before the blonde nodded.

"Fine but if he goes too far or hurts her...I'll kill him." he said growling.

Sakura who stood a few feet away shivered. 'What is this feeling...why am I so terrified of Naruto.' she wondered

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he looked from his friend back down to the field.

'This isn't good...if this gets worse Naruto might do something really stupid. Hinata if he proves too much...I hope you know when to forfeit.' he thought as he stared down at the blue haired kunoichi.

As Hinata stood there for a moment her features began to grow more feral...slowly but surely a lavender aura began to surround her entire frame.

"Yes...yes this is what Mother has been waiting for..." Gaara whispered manically as a insane grin spread across his face.

A set of fangs hung from Hinata's mouth as she crouched for but a moment before she vanished from sight.

Gaara's eyes widened as he turned just in time to see Hinata reappear not with a juken strike but with her claws outstretched.

Surprise registered on his face for but a moment as his sand that tried to intercept her blow was torn asunder as her claws tore through his defense before striking him hard in the face.

The blow had enough force behind it to send him sprawling across the ground before he convulsed in pain as he lay there.

'Impossible...Gaara has never been hit before...' Temari and Baki thought at the same time.

'What is Hinata ? ' Sakura wondered as she narrowed her eyes as she looked between Naruto and Sasuke.

'This is Hinata's true power...it is unnerving...are you still in control Hinata.' Hiashi wondered as he stared with concern at his eldest daughter.

The Kazekage allowed the smallest of smirks.

'Oh little Hina-chan...you have so much potential...perhaps not as a vessel as I originally thought...but as a weapon... I will have you and Sasuke-kun very soon.' he mused to himself.

Sarutobi did not notice the Kazekage's reaction instead he looked down at the stands.

'Hinata I hoped to protect your secret for longer than this, but now people will expect answers. I just hope your ready for when the truth comes out' he thought before frowned.

Hinata crouched on all fours as her claws dug into the dirt.

Gaara very slowly was raised back to his feet with the use of his sand.

"Mother tells me...in order to prove my worth I must assert my dominance." Gaara said as he rolled his head to his side his icy blue eyes dulling a moment before he held out his hands as giant wall of sand roared forward towards Hinata.

Hinata sprang to the side and flipped backwards landing on the ground before digging her claws into the ground to stop herself.

"Gaara...Don't do this...our kind shouldn't be fighting like this."Hinata said her voice layered with a much more powerful presence.

"When I have forced you to submit...mother says we won't have to fight each other again...We'll just have to kill Uzumaki." he said.

Hinata growled as she charged forward her claws ripping through the ground before she flipped forward.

As Gaara's sand hurled towards her she stood upright as she planted her feet onto the ground before yelling out.

"Rotation"

Gaara's sand collided into the shield of chakra before being scattered momentarily.

Hinata ended the rotation as she dove forward and brought back her palm as she prepared to strike Gaara's core.

However she never made it as sand wrapped around her waist from behind and slowly began to snake around her limbs.

Gaara actually smiled as he strode forward and inspected the constricted kunoichi.

"Mother was right...you are worthy of acknowledgment...I will show you my path very soon. First you will submit to me." he demanded as he clenched his fist as the sand around the girl began to constrict.

Hinata's screams filled the arena as her feral features began to slip away.

'Can't escape...still too weak from fighting Nii-san.' she thought.

"N-no...I won't...I'm tired of being weak and afraid...I won't give up" she managed in a weak voice.

"Then I will break you slowly until you do...very soon you'll understand." Gaara said as he clenched his fist tighter.

An audible crack could be heard as a few of Hinata's bones began to give way under the pressure of his sand.

"STOP IT" Naruto yelled as a now fully vivid red Aura enveloped him. Those around him could only stare in shock if not fear of the blonde.

Fortunately Genma interceded before Naruto could do something foolish as he appeared next to Gaara his gaze wary but serious.

"As I told you all...I have the right to end any fight and I'm calling this match...Gaara of the Sand you've won...now release her." Genma ordered as he shifted his senbon in his mouth as he stared intently at the boy.

Gaara offered a murderous gaze at Genma but surprisingly released Hinata from his sand.

"As you wish..." he said dully as he turned his eyes lingering on Hinata for just a moment before he turned as he heard someone land behind him.

Naruto strode forward his red aura still surrounding him as he strode past Gaara, the pair exchange a murderous look before he knelt down in front of Hinata.

Naruto looked at Hinata for a long moment as she returned his gaze weakly.

"I'm still weak aren't I?" she asked softly before her eyes fluttered as she fell into unconsciousness.

"No...your anything but weak Hinata-chan...you've become so strong...and I swear on your blood Gaara will pay for this." he said as he reached down and touched her cheek with his hand before his other hand touched some of her own blood that was on the ground.

He stood as he clenched his fist as he watched Gaara walking back to the waiting area.

'Hinata...I won't let him get away with this.' he swore.

* * *

Temari shivered as Gaara strode through the waiting area and towards her.

"Temari calm yourself before I kill you..." he threatened in his icy cold tone.

She nodded numbly. "H-hai"

"Your going to forfeit your next match..." he stated simply as he folded his arms across his chest.

"B-but Gaara..." she stopped as he looked at her with a powerful killing intent.

"I know Baki thinks he can use you to spy on me and to control me...he's wrong. Forfeit your next match or I'll kill you right now." he said as the cork on his gourd began to move.

Temari nodded her head offering no further resistance.

* * *

"Sasuke what are they?...and don't just avoid the question" Sakura whispered as she stared at the Uchiha.

"It's not my place Sakura...just promise me if your forced to fight either Naruto or Gaara you'll forfeit. I'm sure you've gotten a lot stronger, but those two are now intent on fighting one another. Don't get in their way." Sasuke said as he turned his onyx gaze upon her.

Sakura stared at him a long moment as she intended to argue but she stopped.

She had already been afraid of Gaara, but now Naruto as well ? Maybe whatever all this was...was too much for her.

She frowned before finally offering a small nod.

* * *

Genma watched intently as a team of med nin carried Hinata away and watched as Naruto began to make his way back to the waiting area.

'This is getting dangerous...I wasn't sure if that kid was going to release the girl. If I'm not carefully this could get out of hand fast' he mused as he cleared his voice before speaking.

"Let's not waste anymore time...with Gaara's victory he'll move into the semi-finals. Now for our next match." he said pausing as he looked over at the waiting area.

"Can I have Sasuke Uchiha and Temari No Sabaku join me?" he asked.

Sasuke frowned as he looked at his furious teammate before he began to make his way towards the stairs.

However he stopped in place as Temari held her hand up.

"Proctor...I wish to forfeit to my opponent. I wasted too much chakra in the first round." she lied before she turned avoiding Gaara as she strode past him and down the adjacent hallway.

Genma frowned as a chorus of boos rang through the audience.

"Very well then...Sasuke Uchiha with her forfeit that means your going onto the Semi-finals as well." he stated pausing as he looked at the waiting area.

"Which means Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki are the final match of this round." he said.

Naruto said nothing as he leaped down onto the field with a determined look on his face.

Sakura on the other hand hesitated as she looked at Sasuke before looking down at the field at Naruto.

She sighed.

This was far from how she wanted this exam to go, but she trusted Sasuke's instincts.

She slowly raised her hand earning a look of incredulity from Genma.

"Proctor...I'm forfeiting as well. I don't know enough about my opponent and I have a feeling I know how this match would end." she said.

Again the crowd began to roar this time angrier then before.

Genma simply shook his head.

"Very well then...Naruto Uzumaki by forfeit your the winner of this match. We will break for fifteen minutes before we begin the semi-finals" he stated.

"Since we have an odd number left, one of you will go straight into the finals while the two of you who remain will fight to determine who else will participate in the finals." he explained.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke both found themselves standing next to Hinata's bedside following her bout with Gaara.

"Hinata...I'm so sorry." Naruto said as he stared at Hinata's pale face.

"Naruto...I know this is hard, but we need to get back to the Arena. Our fifteen minutes are almost over." Sasuke said.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he nodded before he leaned over and kissed Hinata's brow.

"I'll be back in no time...we'll kick Gaara's ass believe it." he said in a subdued tone before he looked back over at his friend who simply nodded in response.

The duo turned leaving their comrade to recover having no idea that she was still very much in danger.

* * *

Genma frowned as he studied the three remaining genin.

The crowd could sense it and he could certainly feel the tension between the trio.

He closed his eyes a moment before he exhaled.

"Again these lots were determined randomly...Gaara you've received a pass into the finals which means that the two of you will fight to see who joins him." Genma said as he looked between Naruto and Sasuke.

Both of the genin traded a look with one another.

Each of them had wanted to test themselves, however not now...not after what had happened to Hinata at Gaara's hands.

There was a long silence before Genma looked over at Gaara.

"Gaara you can wait in the resting area...as for the two of you the rules remain the same. Anything goes...again if I call a match you listen got it?" he asked.

Both of the leaf genin nodded in response as they spread apart from one another and took their own respective stances.

The Arena at this point was devastated with craters and looked like a war zone after every fight that had been waged thus far.

"Naruto...I know you want this badly...that you want to avenge Hinata...prove yourself, but your not alone. She's has become like a sister to me, I want to beat the living daylights out of Gaara as well, but I'm not going to let you win this match. As the last loyal Uchiha I have to prove myself...everything is on the line for me as well." Sasuke yelled before tossing a Shuriken at Naruto which he easily dodged. "I refuse to lose to you" the raven haired Uchiha added a moment later.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want this fight Sasuke...for years I've tried to be like you...hoping to one day be acknowledged as your equal" Naruto said, "But I'm the only one who can beat Gaara...I'm the only one who truly understands him. Even now I want to kill him...but I know that's not want Hinata would want...I may have once been the dead last, but I can't lose today...not now...no when so much is at stake." he said before he began to channel chakra through his body into his fingertips.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu" He cried as he summoned a horde of Naruto's into existence.

Sasuke eyes actually widened at the sight of all of them.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, "SASUKE!" he howled as he and his clones charged forward.

Sasuke sprung into action as he formed a series of handsigns.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu" He yelled before he formed a giant fireball that ripped through the earth and collided into a fourth of the Narutos destroying them upon impact.

The rest of the Horde swarmed him however he remained unphased as he even without his Sharingan was able to predict their movements and easily one by one he started to slim their numbers.

Strike by strike he dismissed the clones until only one Naruto stood before him.

Sasuke smirked, "Not bad...your clones are tougher then before, but you won't wear me down like you did Kiba!" he said flicking another Shuriken at Naruto. Naruto didn't dodge this one and Sasuke smirked expecting to catch the blond in the shoulder, instead Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'A Shadow Clone...but how' Sasuke thought as he whirled around his feet and pulled a kunai out of his holster just in time to collide with Naruto's own Kunai.

The two clashed before a moment before breaking away, Naruto slashed at Sasuke only for the Uchiha to kick the blonde in the shoulder causing him to drop the Kunai and stumble backwards.

Naruto didn't waste anytime as he began to charge forward , just as Sasuke threw a series of shuriken, the weapons never found their target however as Naruto rolled under them before springing forward with his fist cocked back and punched Sasuke viciously in the stomach. Sasuke staggered backward clutching his stomach in pain, Naruto's hands flashed around as he began to form the Rasengan. It was weaker and even less stable when he formed it without a Shadow Clone but quicker, Naruto gritted his teeth as he ran forward and thrust his Rasengan at Sasuke's stomach.

Sasuke's head snapped upwards, his eyes flashing as he activated his two tomoe Sharingan . With precise timing he grabbed Naruto's wrist and used the blondes momentum against him as he tripped him and sent him flying with his own Rasengan. Naruto flew through the air and smashed into the single tree on the field, resulting in a shower of splinters. Naruto quickly clambered out of the debris before slamming his hands together forming a dozen Shadow Clones.

The Clones darted forward each of them attacking from a different angle.

Sasuke shook his head at Naruto, "Is that the best you can do Naruto ?" he taunted. "With my Sharingan I won't let you get the chance to use that move on me and now your clones are useless." he stated.

Naruto growled as he himself darted forward at the Uchiha and began kicking and punching wildly as Sasuke easily repelled his attacks, it took a few seconds for Sasuke to destroy all of Naruto's clones leaving only the real Naruto facing him. Naruto was unable to react in time as Sasuke foot caught him under the chin and sent him flying backwards.

"I'm sorry Naruto...but as much as you want Gaara so do I. Only the strongest between the two of us should move on to face him." he stated as he crouched preparing to spring forward and attack again.

* * *

"Heh sort of amazing that there's so much power in such a tiny little brat. Wonder how long it will take to extract it all" Kisame mused as he leered at the unconscious Hyuuga that rested in the bed only a few feet away.

"That's not why we're here..." Itachi said simply as he strode forward studying Hinata for a long moment before looking back at Kisame.

"Your going to have to elaborate on that one Itachi..." Kisame said.

"Both her and the Nine tails are our targets..but she has a far larger role to play. We can use her to find and track the others..." he said quietly.

"Your telling me we're going to use a Jinchuriki to hunt to others? " he asked.

"Precisely...I'll see to her training...she'll serve her role nicely." he said as he leaned down and picked her up before throwing her over his shoulder.

"And what if she isn't compliant?"

Itachi paused as stared at the girl a moment. "Then I will take away her free will...and use her as a Tool."

Kisame shook his head before chuckling. "I'm guessing this was your idea all along..." he mused as he looked around at the unconscious medical ninja laying around the room.

Itachi said nothing further as he made his way for the door.

"Kisame I will rendezvous with you on the border of the leaf and tea in a week from now. "

Kisame groaned. "Always business...heh figured you'd be at least a bit sentimental seeing that we're in your old village." he said before he formed a hand sign and vanished.

Itachi paused for a moment. "You have no idea..." he whispered before he stopped in place as he felt a presence behind him.

"Ah Kakashi...I wonder what tipped you off." he said in a mild voice.

The Copy Ninja remained calm as he spoke.

"Don't feel bad...was just making my way down here to check on my student...now if you don't mind...I'll be taking her now." he said as he reached for his headband and pulled it up revealing his single sharingan.

Itachi was silent for a long moment before he turned in one fluid motion as his eyes met with Kakashi's.

"I'm afraid I must decline...I have plans for the girl. Better I take her now before Orochimaru can seize her after the exams..." he said.

"Orochimaru? he's here?" Kakashi asked tensing.

"Yes he's put together quite an elaborate scheme to attack the village...of course it makes it much easier for me to escape unnoticed incidentally." he offered casually.

"Why are you telling me this?" Kakashi asked as he shifted in place.

Itachi didn't blink as he still stared unwavering at Kakashi.

"Because you will tell no one...You lost this exchange and Hinata in the process the moment you looked me in the eye." he stated before the design in his eyes changed as the world around Kakashi began to shift.

"Tsukuyomi" Itachi called out.

Itachi turned a few moments later deactivating his sharingan as Kakashi collapsed to the floor in a comatose state.

* * *

"Naruto you can do better then this...why are you holding back ? Why Now ?" Sasuke asked as he darted forward sweeping the blondes legs out from under him before placing his his elbow to the blonde's chest.

Naruto was silent a moment as he struggled. "Because I don't want to use that power on a friend...and because the longer I use it the harder it is for me to control myself." he said.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Naruto since when have you been afraid of anything? Didn't you make Hinata some sort of vow...is that all your word amounts to?" he asked as he glared at the pent blonde.

Naruto growled as he features grew more feral before kicked the Raven haired Ninja in the chest and off of him before he flipped back to his feet and into a crouch.

"That's more like it...but even as we fight one of us we'll have to fight Gaara next. What do you say we let this all come down to one final attack." Sasuke suggested as he looked over at Naruto.

Naruto said nothing for a moment before finally nodding as he summoned a shadow clone.

"Fine but Sasuke you should know...I won't hold back." Naruto yelled.

"Neither will I" Sasuke retorted as he held out his hand and began to channel a great deal of chakra through his arm. As the seconds passed lightning could be seen sparking from his hand.

Gaara couldn't help but grin manically as he watched the pair.

"Mother it matters little who we fight next...I'll destroy them and prove our existence." he said to himself.

The two Genin on the field dashed forward at one another each of them armed with their most powerful technique.

"RASENGAN"

"CHIDORI"

There was a giant explosion of chakra as the entire arena shook and reverberated. The outlying walls even began to crack under the pressure of the chakra that was being emitted.

The onlookers could only stare at the smoke and wonder who would emerge the victor.

Genma was actually hanging horizontally from the far wall as he studied the clearing smoke. He jumped down on the ground before he began to make his way across the field.

Finally the smoke cleared and the victor was clear.

Naruto still stood panting but was alright Sasuke on the other hand was several feet away doubled over conscious but unable to move. Sasuke at the last second had pulled his chidori up to avoid a lethal strike, Naruto had moved his hand lower so that that the rasengan would hit his friend in the stomach rather then hitting him in the chest or face. Naruto took another deep breath before he walked over and helped his friend stand as he supported him on his shoulder.

Genma smiled.

'Even after all that they still understand what it means to be comrades' he mused to himself.

"The winner of this Match is Naruto Uzumaki" he declared.

Naruto laughed weakly.

"Heh you better savor that...I'm going to kick your ass once this exam is over." Sasuke said halfheartedly.

"I'm counting on it..." Naruto said as his feral features slipped away and he helped his friend over to the resting area.

* * *

There was a long pause as the last two contenders stared one another down.

"This is the final match of the Chunin Exams...the two of you know the rules. Do your best and make each of your villages proud" Genma stated as he flipped away from Naruto and Gaara.

As Naruto looked into the empty depths of his opponent's eyes, he found himself wondering if this monster before him could have been him. The possibility while unsettling didn't seem all that impossible.

There had been a time when he had gone almost completely mad from the loneliness. There had been a time when he had come close to snapping, a time when he had almost become a monster much like Gaara. There had been a time when he had stood there looking at people and imagined hurting them if only so that cold look in their eyes would change for a second, and they would see him, and acknowledge him.

Before Iruka and Hinata, his pranks had started to get even more vicious with each passing month. If Iruka had remained the way he had in the beginning, if his team hadn't acknowledged him, if he hadn't met Hinata,Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei he could very well be Gaara or something far worse.

He would do what he had to to make sure that he saw his vow to Hinata fulfilled and as much as he wanted to kill Gaara, what made him and Gaara different were the bonds he had formed, he could chose whether to be the monster or something more. If there was anyway to change the fate of a Jinchuriki it was to prove to them, that in fact there is no such thing as fate.

"Gaara I understand you more then you can imagine. There are other ways to be acknowledged...I know because I could have so easily become you" Naruto said simply as he took a simple fighting stance.

Again Gaara's Cork popped out and sand began to flood around him.

"Uzumaki... my father on several occasions tried to take my life because he hated me so much. You know nothing of my pain" he said coldly as the sand around him shifted.

Naruto formed a hand sign before calling out "Shadow Clone Jutsu" about twenty or thirty clones appeared and they all rushed Gaara.

Gaara with a flick of his wrist brought up a sand shield and destroyed all the clones then started shooting sand spikes at Naruto.

Naruto dodged with the best of his might but was hit with one in the shoulder and flung him a good 20 feet.

He landed on his feet before he tore off Jacket. The hole in his shoulder began to shrink until it was completely gone.

'His will to be acknowledged is strong...but he pales in comparison to me ' Gaara thought.

"I understand your pain...I could have...would have become you if not for the bonds I've formed. You can change though" Naruto was cut off by a shock of pain through his entire body and was soon on the ground screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Your mine… 'Sand Coffin' suddenly a large expanse of sand engulfed Naruto.

* * *

_In the Balcony_

"Shit not this again" Kiba said as he leaned forward gritting his teeth.

"Kiba what is that?" Kurenai asked.

"We saw that in the Forest of Death...he crushed a team of genin with that move." he said quietly.

"Kiba! Kurenai-Sensei" Sakura called out nearly out breath before she took a seat next to them.

"What's wrong Sakura? Where's Shino?" Kurenai asked.

"I can't find him anywhere...I thought he came here after the first round, but no one saw him up here." she said between breaths.

"Well Shino is good about going unnoticed...then again I can't figure why he wouldn't show up here." Kiba said as he scratched the back of Akamaru's head.

Kurenai shifted uneasily. "I have a bad feeling about this...the two of you stay where you are I'm going to speak with Asuma." she said as she stood up and quickly disappeared from sight.

* * *

"It seems I was right after all your will is weaker then mine" Gaara said before he prepared to clench his fist.

**"Don't you dare underestimate me" A deep demonic voice said from inside the sand coffin.**

Then the coffin exploded and sand went flying every were. Naruto was standing in the middle of the puddle of sand with blood red chakra radiating off him like he was on fire he had fangs, claws of some sort, blood red feral eyes, and what appeared to be a single chakra tail, and his whiskers were now clearly defined.

"How are you this strong?" Gaara asked as he clenched his fist as the the sand around him as his eyes began to dull as his face on his right side began to shift ever so slightly.

As Shukakau began to assert more control over Gaara, Naruto decided his window for reaching the boy was growing smaller.

"GAARA you have to fight it...don't surrender control! We may have been born into this life, but we are also people...you can fight this." he yelled.

Gaara began to laugh manically "Why should I bother...other then to prove my existence by survival what else do I have to live for?" he asked as he canted his head to the side as he settled and icy cold glare at Naruto.

* * *

Kabuto who watched from the stands frowned.

'It seems that Gaara has other intentions that don't include sticking to Orochimaru-sama's plan. It can't be helped though...we must simply adjust' he thought as he shifted slightly as he silently offered a signal to the other hidden members of the Sound and Sand to begin the operation.

"Kurenai are you sure the kid didn't just leave? I mean if I threw in the towel like he did...I probably would want to be as far away from here too." Asuma said as he leaned back in his seat.

Kurenai's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't like Shino...I know my student and I know something is..." she stopped her eyes widening as she detected something.

She began to look around as crowd began to one by one fall asleep.

'Genjutsu' she thought before she turned to look at Asuma.

"Think I'm imagining something now?" she asked rolling her eyes as she stood straight up and began looking around the stands as fighting began to break out all over the place.

"Ah dammit I'm never going to hear the end of this."Asuma grumbled before he looked over his squad.

"Shikamaru stop pretending to be asleep and wake Ino and Choji...the village is now officially under attack." he stated.

* * *

"What is this ?" Naruto asked furiously as he looked at the stands seeing the chaos that was breaking out.

"It can't be stopped...it won't be over until either all of us or all of you are dead." Gaara said.

"I refuse to believe that...we can end this...theres no need for us to fight any further. " Naruto said.

"Uzumaki I have nothing else to live for...no other purpose..."

"I'll be your friend..." Naruto offered his feral features receding.

"Friend? That is nothing but a weakness..." Gaara said though a hint of uncertainty could be seen beneath the madness.

"Gaara I have strength because of the bonds I have formed...it makes me stronger then I ever would be alone." he said.

Gaara paused a moment his own demon's power receding.

"Naruto...if that is true...prove your will to me...prove what you say is true, only then will I believe it." he said as as his sand formed around his arm before he swung the massive arm of sand forward crushing Naruto into the far wall.

"Words alone mean NOTHING" Gaara yelled.

The Arm of sand was shattered a moment later as a Rasengan shredded it as Naruto lunged forward landing on the ground bloodied but still very much alive.

"Then I'll have to prove my will to you." Naruto stated as he formed a hand sign and created several hundred Narutos.

* * *

"KuKuKu...well it seems my dear Gaara is a bit impatient. Though I applaud his initiative" The Kazekage said as he looked over at Sarutobi before opening his mouth as a sword shout straight out of his mouth and out at the old man.

Sarutobi flipped out of the chair discarding his robes in one fluid motion before he took a taijutsu stance.

"Orochimaru...You may have taken a new guise, but I'd recognize that voice and move anywhere." he said.

"Perhaps but your senses have dulled old man, I've been right in front of you all this time and you've just now realized it." he said.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu" Jiraiya called out as he summoned Gamabunta in the middle of the village.

"JIRAIYA what am I doing here?" The Chief toad demanded as he looked down at the sage.

"Chief there's not much time to explain...the leaf is being attacked. Orochimaru's summons are about the breach the wall, I need your help." he said as he stared up at the giant Toad.

"Fine...but you owe me the best Sake money can buy and months worth of flies" he grumbled

Jiraiya sweat dropped. 'So much for nobility' he thought shaking his head before he leaped up on the Chief Toad.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened as the sand swarmed around him engulfing him again.

"Seems I finally have found the real one..." Gaara said as he clenched his fist.

However once again his sand exploded as Hundreds of Naruto poofed into existence and darted across the ground all before lunging forward and colliding into Gaara' sand shield.

Finally the real Naruto darted forward Rasengan in hand.

He cocked back his hand before burying the Rasengan though the sand and into Gaara's torso sending the red haired genin flying across the ruined Arena and into the far wall before he smashed into it hard.

Naruto strode forward but before he could reach Gaara Temari and Kankuro both leaped down in front of him.

Gaara spit some blood up before he looked between his siblings and at Naruto.

"Does this mean my existence is pointless Uzumaki?" he asked weakly.

"No Gaara it doesn't...even after what you've been through what you've done...your brother and sister are protecting you. You could have those bonds too...you just have accept that your not longer alone." he said.

Gaara's eyes widened as he looked between the pair and fell very silent.

Before anything further could be spoken Baki landed in the Arena just as Genma landed in front of Naruto.

"Relax Leaf Ninja...we've all been deceived ...that man isn't the Kazekage. Temari you were right that isn't your father" Baki said as he looked up upon the roof where a large prism could be seen in which Orochimaru and Sarutobi could be seen fighting inside.

Genma shifted slightly. "Now what?" he asked as he adjusted the senbon in his mouth.

"We assist in resolving this situation and sort out the rest later." Baki said as he folded his arms across his chest.

And with that former enemies were now on the same side...


	17. Chapter 17

With the deception of the Sand discovered the invasion began to unravel at the seams.

Slowly but surely the Leaf and Sand joint forces began to overwhelm and push back the invading sound forces.

The day was ultimately a victory for the leaf, but it was not without it's causalities.

One of which being that of Hiruzen Sarutobi who gave his own life trying to stop his student.

However with his dying breath he managed to maim the snake, taking his arms away before Orochimaru fled with his remaining forces.

Well after nightfall an emergency meeting had been called to discuss the days events as well as what was to be done in the wake of Sarutobi's death.

"Lord Jiraiya you are the only suitable candidate left." Homura said.

Koharu nodded. "Indeed the only other in the village was Kakashi Hatake and he is in a coma, though the medical Ninja have no explanation for it." she said frowning.

Jiraiya held his hands out. "I actually have a person perfect for the job, she's just not in the village at the moment."

"You don't mean her? " Koharu asked with some concern.

"We all know she's capable of doing it...I'm fairly certain I can find her and convince her to return and take the position. I'm sure she can help Kakashi as well" Jiraiya said.

Homura rubbed his temples. "We can give you a month at most to find her and bring her back...if you can't do it within that time frame...then we'll have no choice but to select you as the Fifth Hokage." he stated.

Jiraiya just nodded. "I'll make it happen." he said confidently.

"There's another issue..." Koharu said earning a raised brow from Jiraiya.

"The Heiress of the Hyuuga clan is missing and we believe she may have been kidnapped. A boy of the Aburame clan awoke sometime ago and described someone fitting Itachi Uchiha's description...we believe this may be connected." Koharu said.

Jiraiya clenched his fist. 'Dammit I bet the kid is taking this hard, my spies have heard some interesting things about Itachi though. I should take Naruto with me to find Tsunade.' he thought before he simply bowed his head.

"Very well I will leave after Sarutobi-Sensei's funeral." he said softly before he turned and excused himself from the room.

* * *

Naruto sat silently on the Hokage Monument. Night had fallen hours ago and he had last track of time since then. Today had brought about so much change, on one hand he had been acknowledged as a hero to the village, he had managed to get through to Gaara. On the other hand Kakashi's sensei was now in a coma and he had lost Hinata and though it was unfounded he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt.

His reverie was broken by a voice behind him.

"Naruto are you going to sit up here all night?" Sasuke asked.

The blonde turned to look over at the Uchiha who looked just as worn and defeated as he felt.

"I hadn't really decided yet..." Naruto said quietly.

"It's not your fault...if anything it's mine." Sasuke said as he walked over and took a seat next to the blonde.

Naruto shook his head. "How do you figure that?" he asked as he cast a look over at this friend.

"I came so close to trying to convince Hinata to forfeit to Gaara, if she hadn't fought...then she might not have been able to have been taken...and Kakashi wouldn't have been attacked as well." he said his eyes narrowed as he laced his hands together.

Naruto was silent for a long moment.

"We don't know that...and even if your right we had no way of knowing." he replied.

"So what do we do now?" Sasuke asked.

"We get as strong as we can...however we can and we find Hinata and kick anyone's ass who tries to stop us." Naruto said a hint of conviction peeking through his depression.

"Hnnn you make it sound so easy Naruto." he said as he stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You should get some sleep Naruto..." he said as he turned and began to walk down the mountain.

Naruto sat there for a few more minutes before finally rose to his feet and made his way down into the village.

* * *

Hinata's eyes blinked wearily open finding the space she was in was nearly pitch black, the only light source was a small candle that rested on the ground in front of her.

The concept of time and place was lost on her. She found herself bound...unable to move, she instinctively tried to activate her Byakugan only to gasp as she found it impossible to do so.

"You'll find that quite impossible at the moment..." A voice said a few feet away from her.

Hinata begin looking around frantically.

"W-who are you ?...Where I am?" she managed her voice nervous but she managed to keep herself from shaking.

"Who I am and where you are is of little consequence to you at the moment...you have a purpose to serve...and you will do so." he said as he emerged into her line of sight as he knelt down.

Hinata felt her throat catch.

His features were so much like...Sasuke's

"A-and if I refuse?" she asked.

"You won't be able to...You will play your role" he said ominously as his hands reached out as his sharingan flared to life.

A few moments passed before a scream echoed through the cave and then all fell silent...

* * *

Naruto stared at his ceiling it had to be at least two in the morning, but even after how long today had been he still couldn't fall asleep.

Each time he had gotten close to falling asleep he had seen Hinata's face and immediately was wide awake again.

He turned onto his side just as he heard a knock on his door.

He slowly rolled out of bed before he stretched and walked to the door, he grabbed a kunai and slipped into his sleeve as a precaution before he hesitantly parted the door open.

There blocking the doorway was Neji

Naruto visibly tensed though he looked confused.

"Neji what the hell are you doing here?" Naruto growled.

Neji held up a hand. "I understand you are angry...you deserve to be so..just hear me out." he said, before bowing his head.

"You have one minute..." Naruto spat.

Neji nodded. "I've been very foolish, I never could have imagined that anyone carried a burden larger then my own..." he paused a moment as he stared at the ground.

"I've failed as Hinata's guardian time and time again and now she is missing, as you once swore upon her blood...I swear that I will do whatever I must to bring her back to the leaf." he said, before turning for the door.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he held out his hand. "Wait Neji...we should work together.."

Neji turned to regard the other boy a moment. "This is my responsibility Naruto...only by doing so can I even begin to atone for what I've put Lady Hinata through..I am sorry but I will do this alone..."

Naruto bowed his head as he watched the boy leave, before clenched his fingers so tightly that he broke the skin on his palms.

'Dammit Neji...'

* * *

Sasuke fist slammed into the training dummy, before he collapsed forward onto the ground.

Even though he had talked to Naruto he couldn't help but feel guilty for what had happened to Hinata. Along with Kakashi and Naruto she was one of the few bonds he had formed...he had even begun to regard her as a little sister.

"KuKuKu Oh Sasuke...to imagine you'd be this transparent." a voice said.

Sasuke immediately rolled over before making his way weakly to his feet.

"YOU! Where are you? I'll kill you "Sasuke roared as he began to look at the forest around him.

"Oh Sasuke I'm quite far from this place...but I'm not here to antagonize you."

Sasuke shifted as his eyes still scanned the treeline.

"What do you want Snake?" he asked coldly.

"You've begun to abandon your path Sasuke-kun...weren't you going to hunt down your brother ? Avenge your clan?"

Sasuke's face contorted. "I will make him pay...I'm getting stronger every day..." he seethed.

"Ah but you will never gain the strength you need in the leaf to defeat him and now he has dealt your team a further blow."

"What are you talking about ?!" Sasuke yelled as he hurled several shuriken through the treeline only to be met with silence before Orochimaru's voice could be heard again a few moments later.

"Ohhhh I see you haven't been told yet...some of your elders already suspect that Itachi was here today and that he was the very one who took precious Hinata away. I wonder what he intends to do with her? Perhaps she is already dead." Orochimaru mused.

Sasuke's Sharingan flickered to life as he gritted his teeth. "What's your point? Have you come to simply mock me?" He asked as he clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles grew white.

"Oh Sasuke-kun... I would never mock you." Orochimaru purred.

"Then what do you want? I have training to do..." He growled.

"Oh Sasuke...we both know your big brother is still leagues stronger then you...you will never attain his level of strength so long as you remain in this village. Which means you will never attain your goal...and your teammate will be lost to you forever." he said his voice echoing around the Uchiha.

"You want me to turn my back on everything?...I won't do that I will find a way to kill Itachi and save Hinata." he screamed.

"Kukuku you truly believe in teamwork? You've known since the beginning that the only one who could defeat Itachi was another Uchiha. When you fight him...you will be alone and you will have no chance of beating him as you are, your growing soft Sasuke-kun...you'll need your hate to defeat Itachi." he murmured as he studied the boy intently, what he didn't expect was for Sasuke to chuckle.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?...for me to be your pawn...to use me for your designs, but I have more then one ambition, when I have ended Itachi I intend to rebuild my clan...I won't make the same mistakes my elders have made." he spat.

"Foolish boy...you will regret that decision...one way or another you will be mine.." he whispered, before fading into nothingness.

Sasuke deactivated his sharingan as he took a deep breath, he turned before slamming his fist into the training dummy splintering it with one punch. He looked down at this bleeding hand for a moment his face filled with a mixture of emotions.

'One thing is for sure...I need to grow stronger' he thought to himself as he turned and slowly walked away from the clearing.

* * *

The entire mood of the village was somber as the day of Sarutobi's funeral arrived.

Silence prevailed over those gathered as each and every Ninja stepped forward to pay their respects.

As the day progressed a light rain began to blanket the land of fire, only further adding to the mood that was felt widespread throughout the village.

No sooner had the service ended did the rain and clouds begin to abate and a hint of sunlight peeked out as if a sign to those in the village that there was hope yet and though the Third had passed life within the Leaf would continue.

As the crowds began to part Sasuke found himself still standing there with his hands in his pockets with a very thoughtful look on his face.

"Sasuke-kun are you alright?" Sakura asked lightly placing a hand on his shoulder.

The Uchiha looked at her a moment before nodding numbly.

"Yeah...theres just a lot on my mind..." he said simply

"Things are going to be alright..." she said offering him a small smile.

He said nothing further but simply nodded and watched her out of his peripheral as she walked away.

"Eh Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned his attention to Naruto who looked very different without his headband and normal outfit. He somehow looked older.

Sasuke just nodded at the blonde. "Naruto"

Naruto stepped forward with a sad look on his face. "The old man deserved better then this...but he died a hero." he stated.

"Yeah your right...who knows what would have happened if he hadn't drove off Orochimaru.." he said pausing as his mind began to wonder again.

"Anyways...Sasuke there's something I need to tell you something...I don't have much time." Naruto said noticing his friend seemed to be barely paying attention.

"Hnnn what is it? " he asked quirking a brow.

"The old sage I trained with is going to go find this lady who's suppose to be the next Hokage, she should be able to fix Kakashi-sensei. He wants me to go with him, he thinks he can also find Hinata, I'm going with him." Naruto stated.

Sasuke was quiet for a long moment as he said nothing.

"I shouldn't be longer then a month at most...I think Pervy sage already has a lead...So I'll be back in no time!" he said trying to inject as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

Sasuke stepped forward as he finally spoke. "I'm going with you...

Naruto blinked. "But I don't know if Pervy-sage will like that...he sort of gets grumpy..."

Sasuke frowned. "We're a team right? or at least what's left of it...I'm not getting left behind...not this time."

Naruto studied his friend a moment, before nodding. "Alright let's go then!"

* * *

Neji found himself standing in Team Nine's training ground, the rest of his team had already departed for the day.

The Hyuuga Prodigy crossed his arms as a thin frown formed on his lips.

"Despite your attempts...I can see you...show yourself"

A girl perhaps only a year older then him landed a few yards away. Her most distinctive feature was her long, unruly, pink hair. She also wore a black hat with bandages covering her sides. She wore a simple tan tunic, with black shorts and matching shinobi sandals.

A smirk found it's way upon her lips. "Well shit...your pretty impressive to have seen through my genjutsu...I guess there's a reason why the Hyuuga are so revered."

Neji frowned. "I recognize you from the invasion, you were one of the Sound Ninja that helped Orochimaru escape.."

"Well aren't you fucking perceptive, but you're right.." she said shrugging as she leaned against a tree across from him.

"You have ten seconds, before I incapacitate you and hand you over to Anbu.." he said as the veins around his eyes began to bulge.

There was a flash of motion, before she reappeared behind him placing her flute right at the back of his head at his blind spot.

"Aren't you cute?...if I were here to kill you...you'd already be dead...now shut the hell up and let me speak."

Neji grunted but said nothing for a moment.

"I've been sent to offer you something that I know you desperately want...my master is interested in the Hyuuga and is willing to give you the training to fight Itachi Uchiha...after all you will have to fight him if you intend to save your little cousin."

Neji smirked as he turned in a blur and grabbed the flute, before stopping his face a few inches away from hers.

"What makes you think I need anyone's help?" he said in a low dangerous tone.

Tayuya grinned as leaned forward and kissed the boy, temporarily catching him off guard, before she yanked the flute, from his grasp...kneeing him in the stomach, before flipping backwards.

"Too fucking easy..." she snorted.

"I could beat you with less then half of my strength...you should consider my Master's offer...take some time to think it over...I'll be here at the same time...in a month from now." she said flashing him a devious smirk, before she flipped forward into the treeline and disappeared.

Neji took a moment to compose himself as he stared intently in the direction she'd left in.

He watched a small bird take flight for the first time from it's nest.

'Father what should I do?'


End file.
